Oliver Clyde Fuller (September 13, 1860 – August 17, 1942) was an American banker, financier, and golfer.

Life

Born September 13, 1860 on a plantation in Clarkesville,

Habersham County Habersham County is a County (United States), county in the Northeast Georgia, Northeast region of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 46,031. The county seat is C ...

, Georgia to Henry Alexander Fuller and Martha Caroline Fuller (née Wyly). He was a descendant of

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

generals,

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

Governor

John Sevier John Sevier (September 23, 1745 September 24, 1815) was an American soldier, frontiersman, and politician, and one of the founding fathers of the State of Tennessee. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, he played a leading role in Tennes ...

, and French royalty. He matriculated into the

University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...

at the age of 16. He was boxing champion during his Junior year. He graduated from the

. Following the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, with the Fuller family farm destroyed, and slaves freed, the Fuller family moved immediately to Atlanta. His father, Henry Alexander Fuller, opened what would become the largest Grocery Store in Atlanta during reconstruction. H.A. Fuller, with his sons Oliver, and Clarence Paul Fuller became Grocer Merchants. This store originated as Fuller & Oglesby. This partnership was dissolved, and became Fuller & Sons. In 1881, he married Katherine Fitzhugh Caswell of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and they had six children. Fuller and Caswell took over management of her father's estate, Napoleon Bonaparte (N.B.) Caswell in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, for which the Caswell block is named. In 1891, he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1893, founded the O. C. Fuller Co., an investment firm. In 1903 he founded and became President of the Wisconsin Trust Co., which took over the Fuller Co. He was a leader in the creation of the First Wisconsin Group, a bank and trust firm, serving as president of the First Wisconsin National Bank, the First Wisconsin Trust Co., and the First Wisconsin Co., which later became

Firstar Corporation Firstar Corporation was a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based regional bank holding company that existed from 1853 to 2001. In 2001, Firstar acquired U.S. Bancorp and assumed its name, moving its headquarters to Minneapolis. History Firstar was founded ...

, which in turn became

U.S. Bancorp U.S. Bancorp (stylized as us bancorp) is an American multinational financial services firm headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota and incorporated in Delaware. It is the 5th-largest bank in the United States as of 2025. As the largest bank i ...

in 2001. Fuller was also

Treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

and

Trustee Trustee (or the holding of a trusteeship) is a legal term which, in its broadest sense, refers to anyone in a position of trust and so can refer to any individual who holds property, authority, or a position of trust or responsibility for the ...

of Forest Home Cemetery, which was run by St. Paul's Episcopal Church. Active in many businesses and athletic clubs, Fuller was a Trustee of the

Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual is an American financial services mutual organization headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The financial security company provides consultation on wealth and asset income protection, education planning, retirement planning ...

Life Insurance Co., and a Director of the Wisconsin Telephone Co., Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Co., Milwaukee Gas Light Co., Wisconsin Securities Co., Wisconsin Public Service Co., Milwaukee Mechanics Insurance Co., Milwaukee Refrigerator Transit Co., and the Milwaukee Auditorium Co. He was a member of council of American Bankers' Association, 1908–10; elected to Chairman of executive committee of the Trust Company Section, American Bankers' Association, 1908; Vice President, 1909; and President, 1910. He was also involved in the Wisconsin Society Sons of American Revolution (formerly President); Wisconsin

Society of Colonial Wars The General Society of Colonial Wars is a patriotic society composed of men who trace their descents from forebears who, in military, naval, or civil positions of high trust and responsibility, by acts or counsel, assisted in the establishment, d ...

Phi Delta Theta Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded in 1848, and currently headquartered, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, alo ...

Society of the University of Georgia. He retired from business life in 1926.

Personal life

Fuller was an avid golfer, credited with helping bring the game to the

Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...

. He was a founder and President of various Milwaukee golf, tennis, yacht and athletic clubs. An article in ''The American Golfer'' in 1915 called him a pioneer golfer in the Cream City. He died on August 17, 1942.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuller, Oliver Clyde 1860 births 1942 deaths University of Georgia alumni U.S. Bancorp American bankers