Otto Sverdrup (1854  1930)

Otto Sverdrup got his mate exam in 1875 and the captain’s exam a few years later. He sailed for a period on schooners under American flag between  the east coast of the USA and the West Indies. He was chosen to be a part of Nansens expedition to Greenland in 1888 and 1889, and during this journey, a friendship grew between Sverdrup and Nansen, a friendship based on mutual respect. As the polar ship ”Fram” was being built, Sverdrup was a ship inspector, and he had the idea as to how ”fram” should be rigged. Sverdrup was captain on the voyage across the Arctic ocean, and even became expeditionleader when Fridtjof Nansen and Hjalmar Johansen launched their attempt to reach the north pole. Sverdrup later set his course with ”Fram” towards unknown land northwest off Greenland. In 1898 – 1902 he charted more than 200 000 squarekilometers of land in the northern areas. Later on, Sverdrup participated in severeal rescue operations in the Arctic ocean. Hjalmar Johansen had the greatest respect for Otto Sverdrup, and characterized him in this way: ”This man, walking aboard, silently and calmly – noticed everything, spoke so little, but accomplished all the more.”
Otto Sverdrup had a reputation for being the most silent man in Norway.