Gunnar Ousland

Gunnar Ousland (8 September 1877 – 29 January 1967) was a Norwegian editor, writer, trade unionist and politician for the Labour and Social Democratic Labour parties. He started out as a temperance activist and trade unionist before serving as a politician and in the party press. He edited several magazines and newspapers, including an illegal newspaper during World War II. He was later one of the proponents for the Common Program, and wrote historical books.

He was born in Halse in Vest-Agder, the youngest of 11 children of Henrik Tormundsen (1828-1998) and Gunhild Tomine Taraldsdatter (1835-1993). He finished a typographer's education in 1897 and went to Oslo, where he became a member of the typographers' union. He soon began a friendship and professional relationship with fellow typographer Ole O. Lian. In 1898 they founded the Gutenberg Lodge of the IOGT. When in 1907 Lian became chairman of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions, Ousland succeeded him as manager of the union Norsk Centralforening for Boktrykkere. Ousland acted informally as Lian's closest adviser until Lian died.

Ousland was the editor of the union magazine Typografiske Meddelelser 1906 and the temperance magazine Vort Arbeide from 1907 to 1912. In 1911 he was hired in Social-Demokraten. He was the editor-in-chief of Vestfold Social-Demokrat from 1921 to 1926 and Bergens Social-Demokrat from 1926 to 1927, then Bergens Arbeiderblad from 1927 to 1939.

Ousland served as a member of Kristiania city council from 1911 to 1921, and chaired Kristiania Labour Party from 1912 to 1920. In 1921 he was hesitant to join the new party Social Democratic Labour Party of Norway, as he did not want to split the Labour Party, but he eventually did join it. He rejoined the Labour Party when the two parties merged in 1927.

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