Preceded by Philander Knox Party Republican Party Political party Republican | Name George Oliver Succeeded by Philander C. Knox Education Bethany College Resigned March 3, 1917 | |
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Born January 26, 1848
County Tyrone, Ireland ( 1848-01-26 ) Role Former United States Senator Died January 22, 1919, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | ||
Previous office Senator (PA) 1909–1917 | ||
George T. Oliver
George Tener Oliver (January 26, 1848 – January 22, 1919) was an American lawyer, publisher, and Republican party politician from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He represented Pennsylvania in the United States Senate from 1909 until 1917.
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Early life, education, and career
He was born in Dungannon, Ireland while his parents were visiting there. After graduating from Bethany College, West Virginia (B.A., 1868; M.A.,1873) he studied law in an office in Pittsburgh, where he practiced from 1871 to 1881. 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 Pittsburg Times to form The Gazette Times.
U.S. Senate
In 1909, he was elected to the U.S. Senate to serve out the term of Philander C. Knox, who had resigned to become Secretary of State under President Taft. In 1911, he notably helped reverse the United States Board on Geographic Names decision to spell the name of the city of Pittsburgh as "Pittsburg" back to the original spelling with the -h ending. 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, the chief employer in Pittsburgh.
Memorial
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.