He was hired as secretary in the Norwegian Ministry of Labour in 1898, and was promoted to head of his department in 1912. From 1919 to 1937 he was a director in the Norwegian State Railways. He was also a poet; his most important poetry collections were the 1896 Viser og vers and the 1903 Egne veie.
He was also a theatre and literary critic in various newspapers.
He was also a maternal grandson of Andreas Grimelund.