Donald H. Oliver

Canadian politician and lawyer

  • Born: November 16, 1938
  • Birthplace: Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada

Education: Acadia University; Dalhousie University

Significance: Donald H. Oliver is a lawyer and a former Canadian senator. He was appointed as Canada’s first black senator by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney on September 7, 1990, and held the position for more than two decades until his retirement from politics in 2013.

Background

Donald Oliver was born on November 16, 1938, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, to Clifford and Helena Oliver. He grew up with his four siblings and a half-brother, William. His parents were devout Baptists and his maternal grandfather, William A. White, had served as the reverend of the Cornwallis Street Baptist Church in Halifax. Oliver was especially fond of jazz, opera, and gospel music, a love that was imparted by his mother, who was an accomplished pianist and the older sister of famed operatic contralto Portia White. Portia White often came over to the Oliver home to play piano and sing for her nieces and nephews. Oliver’s family was extremely active in the community and dedicated to public service, and his uncle Bill White was the first black Canadian to run for federal office.

Oliver grew up in a highly educated household, and attended the local Wolfville High School, from where he graduated in 1956. After graduating high school, Oliver enrolled in Acadia University, where he served as president of the history and philosophy clubs. He majored in history and minored in both English literature and philosophy. He graduated four years later in 1960 and received the Ralph M. Hunt Prize in Political Science and was the valedictorian of his graduating class.

Oliver then enrolled in a graduate program in philosophy at Acadia University, although his father wanted him to consider a career in theology and become a minister, which was a strong tradition on both sides of Oliver’s family. However, Oliver had other plans and soon switched to the law program at Dalhousie University, enrolling as a prestigious Sir James Dunn scholar in 1961. Three years later, Oliver graduated and was awarded the G. O. Forsythe Prize for Scholarship and Character.

Life’s Work

Donald H. Oliver was admitted to the bar in 1965 and soon began practicing law. It was at this time that he joined the prestigious law firm Stewart McKelvey Stirling and Scales in Halifax. Oliver worked with this firm, as well as two other firms, during his thirty-six-year career as a lawyer. Oliver worked primarily in the field of civil litigation, and he also taught law courses at several different universities in the Halifax area. These universities included the Technical University of Nova Scotia, Saint Mary’s University, and his alma mater, Dalhousie University Law School. He also was able to get involved in the community by lecturing on human rights, the tenets of the Canadian constitution, politics, and election law.

Oliver’s work as a lawyer, and community activism helped him to jump start a career in politics. As a politician, Oliver was active in promoting equality for fellow black Canadians and other minorities. In the late 1960s, he helped to bring about provincial legislation to end racial discrimination in Nova Scotia. Beginning in 1972, Oliver began working with the Progressive Conservative Party in Canada and was particularly inspired by the work of former Nova Scotia premier Robert Stanfield, who did much in the fight for equality. In his involvement with the Progressive Conservative Party, Oliver served as the chair of legal services for five political campaigns from 1972 to 1988.

Oliver was appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney. He was confirmed to the Senate on September 7, 1990. During his time in the Senate, Oliver became a member of the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade, and Commerce and served as the chair of the Senate Standing Committees on Transport and Communications (1992–6), Agriculture and Forestry (2002–4), National Finance (2004–5), and Legal and Constitutional Affairs (2006–7). In Ottawa, Oliver received much recognition and was appointed as the cochair of the Special Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Commons on a Code of Conduct. Oliver sponsored many bills, most importantly bills that dealt with amending parts of the criminal code, especially as it dealt with human rights and stalking.

Oliver was recognized for his remarkable work as a senator and was named speaker pro tempore of the Senate of Canada on March 4, 2010. He retired three years on his birthday after reaching the mandatory retirement age of seventy-five on November 16, 2013.

Impact

Donald H. Oliver became the first black man to serve in the Canadian Senate and served for more than twenty-three years. He was a notable senator who sponsored many bills and achieved the rank of speaker pro tempore toward the end of his career, and he is remembered as a champion of human rights. In 2003, his alma mater, Dalhousie University, awarded him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of a lifetime of achievement.

Personal Life

Donald H. Oliver and his wife, Linda, have one daughter. He and his wife retired on a farm along the Pleasant River in Queens County, Nova Scotia, where he grows Christmas trees. Oliver is an accomplished cook and published the book Men Can Cook Too! in 1981.

Bibliography

Oliver, Donald H. "Black History and Culture." DonOliver.ca. Don Oliver, 20 Dec. 2007. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

Oliver, Donald. "How My Brother Built a Beacon to All Black Canadians." Huffington Post Canada. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

"Oliver, the Hon. Dr. Donald H., Q.C., B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., LL.D. (Hon.)." Parliament of Canada. Library of Parliament, n.d. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

"Retired Senator Honourable Donald H. Oliver, Q.C." DonOliver.ca. Don Oliver, 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.

Taber, Jane. "Why the Deputy Speaker of the Senate Wants to ‘Just Slip Away.’" Globe and Mail. Globe and Mail, 8 Nov. 2013. Web. 31 Aug. 2016.