Dr. William Silver Oliver was born on November 12, 1835, in Kilfinane, Limerick, Ireland.
He was a military surgeon. He studied in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and entered the Army as an Assistant Surgeon in 1857, serving mainly in India and Canada (Quebec and Nova Scotia). In 1873, he was promoted to Surgeon-Major and, in 1882, Brigade Surgeon. After serving with the 60th Rifles and witnessing the needs of infantry soldiers, he designed and patented the accoutrements worn by the Canadian military during the Boer War to redistribute the load to avoid back strain. He is remembered for describing Oliver's sign. He retired an Honorary Deputy Surgeon-General stationed at Halifax, Nova Scotia, in 1883. In 1905, he moved to England, where he died after a long illness.
In 1872, he married Elizabeth Alice Galt (1849–1938). He died on April 27, 1908, in Farnborough, Hampshire, England.
Michael Oliver was born in North Bay, Ontario. He earned his B.A. (1948), M.A. (1950) and Ph.D. (1957) from McGill and also studied at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques in Paris. In 1958, Oliver was appointed Assistant Professor of economics and political science at McGill. He was promoted to Associate Professor and became Director of the French Canada Studies Programme in 1963. From 1966 until 1971, he was Vice-Principal (Academic), and he served as research director of the Royal Commission on Biculturalism and Bilingualism from 1964 until 1970. Oliver has also been involved in politics as President of the New Democratic Party. He served as President of Carleton University from 1972 to 1978, and since 1979 has been director of the International Development office of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada.
Joseph Oliver was a farmer and merchant who lived in Hinchinbrooke and Godmanchester, Quebec. He was born in 1802 near Harbottle, England. He married Sarah Kelly on 29 January 1841, and they had nine children together: Mary Jane, John, Robert N. Joseph, Sarah A. Janie, Annie M., George C., and Helen V. He died on 14 November 1863 in Godmanchester. His wife, Sarah, continued working as a merchant after his death.
