Written on side: "Ole Olsen (1845-1915). He was born at Skogen, near Christiana, Norway. When he was five years old his parents came to America and settled on a farm in Oakland Township, Wisconsin. At the age of nine he with his parents began to keep the Sabbath. He was baptized in 1858. The school year 1876-1877 he attended Battle Creek College. In 1869 the Wisconsin Conference granted him a ministerial license and for two summers he served as tentmaster. About 1870 he began work among the Scandinavians. In 1873 he was ordained, and in 1874 he was elected president of the Wisconsin Conference. Later he served as president of the Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa Conferences. In the spring of 1886 the General Conference sent him to the Scandinavian countries to supervise the growing work there. While in Europe, Olsen received word that he had been elected president of the General Conference. this post he held for nine years. During his administration, progress was reported in expanding, organizing, and developing the SDA cause throughout the world field. It was he who first advocated the formation of union conference. After laying down his GC responsibilities he worked for a year in South Africa. After that he spent about two years shepherding the work in Great Britain. He also went to Australia and filled other positions in North America."
