Olav Benum (5 September 1897 - 27 June 1990) was a Norwegian elected official and politician with the Liberal Party.[1]
He was born at Beitstad in Nord-Trøndelag, Norway.
He was elected to the Norwegian Parliament from Nord-Trøndelag in 1945, and was re-elected on three occasions. He had previously served as a deputy representative during the term 1937 - 1945.
Benum was deputy mayor of Vemundvik municipal council in 1934 - 1937, and mayor in 1937 - 1941 and 1945. At the same time he was a member of Nord-Trøndelag county council. He later became a member of Namsos city council during the terms 1963 - 1967 and 1967 - 1971. Again, during the same time he became involved in the county council. He served as deputy county mayor in 1963 - 1966 and county mayor in 1966 - 1967.
Outside politics he worked as an agronomist. In the Norwegian Agrarian Association he was a member of the board from 1946 to 1953. From 1942 to 1945, during the German occupation of Norway, he fled to Stockholm, Sweden and worked at the Norwegian legation there.