Odevall began his career in 1945 as an attaché at Sweden's Ministry for Foreign Affairs after completing his law degree at Uppsala University.
Over his career, he held multiple prominent posts abroad, including in Madrid, New York City, and London, and later as consul general in Minneapolis.
[1] He passed studentexamen in Linköping in 1940, completed the reserve officer exam in 1942, and earned a Candidate of Law degree from Uppsala University in 1945.
[1] Odevall became an attaché at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1945, with postings in Madrid, New York City, London, Vienna, and at the United Nations General Assembly.
Odevall served as head secretary of the Committee on Foreign Affairs from 1962 to 1965, chaired the International Coffee Council in 1963 and again from 1964 to 1965, and led the United Nations Sugar Conference in 1965.