Background
Roll was born in Chicago, Illinois to Wilhelm Jørgen Roll (born 1864 in Asker, Norway) and Sofia Jensen (born 1868 in Asker, Norway).
Roll was born in Chicago, Illinois to Wilhelm Jørgen Roll (born 1864 in Asker, Norway) and Sofia Jensen (born 1868 in Asker, Norway).
He had a brother William Roll
Roll was married in 1918, and had four children. He broke the Norwegian record this year, clocking in 50.9 seconds. He improved his own record to 50.7 seconds in 1920, but lost it to Einar Mangset the following season.
He represented the sports club Kristiania IF.
Roll later served as a United States vice consul in Oslo.
During the occupation of Norway by Nazi Germany Roll resigned his post and joined the Norwegian underground. He was captured by the Gestapo and imprisoned in a concentration camp for a period.
After his release, he allegedly helped Norwegians escape from concentration camps. On June 24, 1944, Roll was arrested in his office and executed at Holmenkollen Kapell (Oslo) as a part of Operation Blumenpflücken, an attempt to discr the Norwegian resistance.
Steamship Hauptsturmführer and Sicherheitspolizei officer Ernst Weiner was personally responsible for the murder.