Fonds MS-172 - Frank Oliver fonds

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Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Frank Oliver fonds

General material designation

  • Textual record

Parallel title

Other title information

Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on name of creator.

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA EDM MS-172

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1880 - 1966 (Creation)
    Creator
    Oliver, Frank

Physical description area

Physical description

10 cm of textual records

Publisher's series area

Title proper of publisher's series

Parallel titles of publisher's series

Other title information of publisher's series

Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series

Numbering within publisher's series

Note on publisher's series

Archival description area

Name of creator

(1853 - 1933)

Biographical history

Frank Oliver was born in 1853 to Hannah Oliver and Frank Bowsfield in Peel County, Ontario. Frank decided to take his mother’s last name in his teens.

Frank worked as a typesetter in Toronto for The Globe before coming west to Winnipeg in 1873 where he worked for the Manitoba Free Press. Frank arrived in Edmonton in 1876 and in 1880 he founded Edmonton's first newspaper, the "Edmonton Bulletin", in partnership with Alex Taylor.

In 1881, Frank Oliver married Harriet Dunlop in Manitoba. Frank and Harriet had seven children – Harriet, Dora, Clara, Anna, Allen, John, and Lucy.

In 1883 he was elected to the Northwest Territories Council and in 1896 he entered the House of Commons as an independent Liberal - the first member of parliament from Alberta. In 1905 Sir Wilfrid Laurier appointed him Minister for the Interior and he later became a member of the Privy Council. Oliver ran in both the 1917 and 1921 federal elections but was defeated in both elections. In 1923 he was appointed to the Board of Railway Commissioners, which he participated on until his death.

Though he had divested himself of his interests in The Bulletin in 1923, two years later he bought the paper back with hopes to resell it at a profit. However this was not achieved. Oliver turned to writing, including drafting a history of the fur trade and reminiscences of his early years in the west. The University of Alberta conferred an honorary degree of LLD on Oliver in 1931.

Frank Oliver died suddenly on 31 Mar 1933 while in Ottawa on Board business. His body was returned to Edmonton and he was buried at the Edmonton Municipal Cemetery.

Custodial history

John Oliver was the son of Frank Oliver.

Scope and content

The fonds consists of materials created by Frank Oliver including published and unpublished speeches and newspapers, correspondence, and typescripts of various newspaper articles relating to Frank Oliver.

Notes area

Physical condition

Immediate source of acquisition

The fonds was donated to the City of Edmonton Archives by John Oliver, through the Northern Alberta Pioneers & Old Timers Association.

Arrangement

The fonds was arranged by the archivist by creator.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Location of originals

    Availability of other formats

    Restrictions on access

    There are no restrictions on access.

    Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

    Copyright may apply.

    Finding aids

    Finding aid available online.

    Associated materials

    See also:
    Frank Oliver Family fonds (PR1831) at the Provincial Archives of Alberta

    Related materials

    Accruals

    Further accruals are not expected.

    General note

    Accession number: unknown NAPOTA

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Standard number

    Standard number

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Control area

    Description record identifier

    Institution identifier

    City of Edmonton Archives

    Rules or conventions

    Rules for Archival Description (RAD)
    Archives Society of Alberta Subject Terms

    Status

    Final

    Level of detail

    Dates of creation, revision and deletion

    Language of description

    • English

    Script of description

      Sources

      Digital object (Master) rights area

      Digital object (Reference) rights area

      Digital object (Thumbnail) rights area

      Accession area