Olaus Arvesen was a Norwegian educator and politician for the Liberal Party.

He was born in Onsøy

Onsøy

Onsøy is a peninsula and a former municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre was Gressvik.-History:The parish of Onsø was established as a municipality January 1, 1838...

. He graduated as cand.theol.

Cand.theol.

Candidatus theologiæ , Candidata theologiæ , abbreviated cand. theol. is an academic degree with a long tradition, awarded after a six year higher education in theology in Denmark and Norway. In Norway, the title has remained after the "Quality Reform", though it is equivalent to a Master of...

 in 1862, and was influenced by the pastor and educator N. F. S. Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig

Nikolaj Frederik Severin Grundtvig , most often referred to as simply N. F. S. Grundtvig, was a Danish pastor, author, poet, philosopher, historian, teacher, and politician. He was one of the most influential people in Danish history, as his philosophy gave rise to a new form of nationalism in...

. While Grundtvig is often called "the father of the folk high school

Folk high school

Folk high schools are institutions for adult education that generally do not grant academic degrees, though certain courses might exist leading to that goal...

", Arvesen established Norway's first folk high school at Sagatun

Sagatun folk high school

Sagatun Folk High School was a folk high school in Hamar, Norway.The first of its kind in Norway, it was founded by Herman Anker and Olaus Arvesen in 1864. The school building was erected around 1865, and drawn by architect Emil Victor Langlet. The school was disestablished in 1892, having been...

 in 1864, together with Herman Anker.

Arvesen was also editor-in-chief of the newspapers Hamar Stiftstidende

Hamar Stiftstidende

Hamar Stiftstidende is a former Norwegian daily newspaper, published in Hamar, Norway from 1847 to 1971. Its original name was Hamar Budstikke, later Hamar Budstikke og Stiftstidende, then Hamar Stiftstidende. In 1872 editor Olaus Arvesen was forced to leave after disagreements with the owners, and...

(from 1866) and Oplandenes Avis

Oplandenes Avis

Oplandenes Avis was a Norwegian newspaper, published in Hamar in Hedmark county.It started on 3 July 1872 by Olaus Arvesen, who had been fired as editor of the conservative newspaper Hamar Stiftstidende. He remained editor until 1906, and supported the Liberal Party...

(from 1872). He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1892, representing the constituency Hedemarkens Amt

Hedmark

is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Oppland and Akershus. The county administration is in Hamar.Hedmark makes up the northeastern part of Østlandet, the southeastern part of the country. It includes a long part of the borderline with Sweden, Dalarna County and Värmland County. The...

. He was a deputy representative during the term 1985–1897. In 1900 he was elected for a second term, representing the constituency of Sarpsborg

Sarpsborg

is a city and municipality in Østfold county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Sarpsborg.Sarpsborg is part of the fifth largest urban area in Norway when paired with neighbouring Fredrikstad...

 where he lived while working as a Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Norway

The Supreme Court of Norway was established in 1815 on the basis of the Constitution of Norway's §88, prescribing an independent judiciary. It is located in Oslo and is Norway's highest court...

 barrister.

He died in 1917. He was the father of violinist Arve Arvesen.