Rolf Olsen was born in Bergen, Norway. He was the son of Andreas Schram Olsen (1791–1841), the bailiff (byfogd) of Bergen. He was a student in Skien and earned a Candidatus juris in 1842. In 1846, he was employed as a clerk in the Interior Ministry until 1852. He also worked as a journalist, especially for Morgenbladet, where he was an editor from 1848. Between 1840 and 1850, he wrote several plays including both tragedies and comedies.[2]
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament in 1854, 1857, 1859 and 1862, representing the constituency of Østerrisøer in Nedenes county, Norway.[3] In 1863, he was appointed as a judge in Gauldalen, but died the following year.[3]
