Immigrated 1886 and ordained as a minister of the Norwegian Lutheran Church in America in 1900. Attended Augustana College 1890-1894; St. Olaf College 1894-1897 (A.B.); U. C. Seminary 1898-1900 (C.T.); Ecole de St. Marcell, Paris 1900-1901; Sorbonne, 1911; Christianna University 1911-1912; Drew Theological Seminary, Madison, NJ 1927-1928. Missionary, Ft. Dauphin, Madagascar, 1901-1909; supt. of missions 1903-1909. Professor of theology, U. C. Seminary1911-1917; Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1917-. President, United Missions, 1912-1917, 1917-; secretary, Board of Foreign Missions, 1913-1914. In France for Soldiers' and Sailors' Welfare Com., 1919; in Germany, Poland, and Russia, National Lutheran Council relief work, 1920. D. D. from Augustana Seminary, Rock Island, IL 1923. Supply pastor, Duluth, MN 1927.
Married Martha Knutson.