Joseph Doty (J.D.) Oliver (August 2, 1850 – August 6, 1933) was an American businessman and President of the Oliver Farm Equipment Company in

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

Early life

Joseph Doty Oliver was born to Susan Catherine (née Doty) and James Oliver on August 2, 1850. His father was an inventor. Oliver attended public schools in South Bend. He took courses at

DePauw University DePauw University is a private liberal arts university in Greencastle, Indiana. It has an enrollment of 1,972 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the ...

and the

University of Notre Dame The University of Notre Dame du Lac, known simply as Notre Dame ( ) or ND, is a private Catholic university, Catholic research university in Notre Dame, Indiana, outside the city of South Bend, Indiana, South Bend. French priest Edward Sorin fo ...

Career

His first job was in his father's plant, then called Oliver, Bissel and Company, for 75 cents a day. He was elected Treasurer at the age of 16, Director at 20, and became President in 1908 after his father's death. His public works include funding (along with his father) the Oliver Opera House in 1884, Oliver Hotel in 1899, and City Hall, as well serving as the Indiana Director of War Savings during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. Oliver served as a director of the

Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad, commonly called the Pan Handle Route (Panhandle Route in later days), was a railroad that was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system. Its common name came from its main line, whic ...

, the First National Bank of Chicago and the Chase National Bank of New York. He served as trustee of

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and mone ...

for 18 years.

Personal life

Oliver married Anna Gertrude Wells of

Johnstown, New York Johnstown is a city in and the county seat of Fulton County in the U.S. state of New York. The city was named after its founder, Sir William Johnson, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Province of New York and a major general during the Sev ...

, on December 10, 1884. They had four children, James II, Gertrude, Joseph Jr. and Susan Catherine. Oliver was a member of the Presbyterian church. The Oliver family built a house on West Washington Street in South Bend. It was named Copshaholm, in honor of the birthplace of Oliver's father. Oliver died on August 6, 1933, in

. Oliver was buried in the Oliver mausoleum at the Riverview Cemetery in South Bend.

References

External links

* 1850 births 1933 deaths Businesspeople in agriculture Businesspeople from Indiana Joseph D. Oliver Presbyterians from Indiana American business executives {{US-business-bio-1850s-stub