George Tener Oliver

Background

He was born in Dungannon, Ireland while his parents were visiting there.

Education

After graduating from Bethany College, West Virginia (Bachelor, 1868. Master of Arts,1873) he studied law in an office in Pittsburgh, where he practiced from 1871 to 1881.

Career

He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1909 until 1917. He then engaged in the iron and steel industry, accumulating a large fortune. In 1900 Oliver separately purchased two Pittsburgh newspapers, the morning Commercial Gazette and evening Chronicle Telegraph, the former of which he merged six years later with the The Pittsburg Times to form The Gazette Times.

In 1909, he was elected to the to serve out the term of Philander C. Knox, who had resigned to become Secretary of State under President Taft.

Oliver was reelected to a full six-year term starting in 1911. As Senator, he focused on tariff matters affecting the iron and steel industry.

Oliver owned a summer estate named Dungannon Hall in Hamilton Twp, Ontario, just north of Cobourg. The sideroad south of the estate was named Oliver"s Lane in memory.

Although Dungannon Hall was lost to fire in the mid 20th Century, the gates to the estate still stand at the western end of Oliver"s Lane next to Ontario Street.

Connections

Father:

Henry Oliver

Mother:

Margaret (Brown) Oliver

Spouse:

Mary Kountze