Olav Holt is a Norwegian physicist.

Holt was born in Hedrum

Hedrum

Hedrum is a parish and the site of a historic church in Vestfold county, Norway.-History:The parish of Hedrum was established as a municipality on January 1, 1838 . Small parts of Hedrum were transferred to the city of Larvik in 1855, 1875, 1937 and 1948...

, and took his dr.philos. degree in 1963. Holt is a specialist in the upper atmosphere physics and radio wave propagation in the ionosphere.

Later, Holt was hired as professor at the University of Tromsø

University of Tromsø

The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...

 in 1969, where he served as rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 from 1973 to 1977. In 2003 he was proclaimed Knight, First Class of the Royal Norwegian Order of St. Olav.

His wife is Tordis Holt and he is the father of the Norwegian bestselling author and former Minister of Justice Anne Holt

Anne Holt

-Career:She was born in Larvik, grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø, and moved to Oslo in 1978 where she lives today with her registered partner Anne Christine Kjær and their daughter Iohanne. Holt graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and worked for The Norwegian...

, and the Cardiologist Dr.med. Even Holt.