Karl Fritjof Rolvaag (July 18, 1913 – December 20, 1990) was an American diplomat and politician who served as the 31st governor of Minnesota from March 25, 1963, to January 2, 1967, as a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party.

Rolvaag won the closest gubernatorial election in state history, defeating the incumbent, Elmer L. Andersen by 91 votes out of over 1.3 million cast.

Formerly, the local school board ran each college separately; Rolvaag designed a coordinated statewide system with the goal of putting every Minnesotan within commuting distance of an institution of higher education.

In 1967, after leaving office, Rolvaag was appointed United States Ambassador to Iceland by President Lyndon Johnson.

[2] Rolvaag stayed out of politics the rest of his life, but helped others work through their problems with alcoholism, attending meetings and giving talks in places as nearby as his hometown of Northfield and as far off as Sweden.