fiction writer historian journalist politician university professor
He graduated with the candidate.philol. (Doctor of Philosophy equivalent) degrees in 1927.
And mag.art. He worked as a teacher and headmaster in schools in Oslo, Haugesund and Sauda. He also chaired local chapters of Noregs Mållag as well as Christian organizations. He sat at Grini for one day, later at Jørstadmoen and Kirkenes, but was released.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Rogaland in 1950, and was re-elected on three occasions.
From August to September 1963 he served as the Minister of Social Affairs during the short-lived centre-right cabinet Lyng. During this period, Knut Haus filled his seat in the Parliament.
In 1965 he was again appointed to a cabinet post, this time as Minister of Church Affairs and Education in the cabinet Borten, which lasted until 1971. When the cabinet Borten fell over a controversy related to the forthcoming European Economic Community referendum, Bondevik was put in charge of tailoring a renewed centre-right coalition.
However, the negotiations between the four parties failed, paving the way for a Labour cabinet Bratteli.
In this context Bondevik described himself as djupt såra og vonbråten, "deeply hurt with broken hopes". This is a well-known quote in Norwegian history. Bondevik also worked at the University of Oslo from 1958 to 1965 and the University of Bergen as a lecturer from 1965 to 1970.
In 1982 he was given an honorary doctorate at the University of Tromsø, as the first person.
He authored many books, mostly about history topics. Biographies about him were published in 1969 and 1981.
He was a member of the executive committee of Sauda municipal council from 1945 to 1951, and chaired the local party chapter from 1939 to 1947 and the county chapter from 1939 to 1950.