Representative Frank Oliver

Frank A. Oliver was a United States Representative from New York who served in the House of Representatives from 1923 to 1935. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented his constituents over six consecutive terms in Congress during a period of profound political and economic change in the United States. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, spanning the later years of the Roaring Twenties and the onset of the Great Depression, and he contributed to the legislative process as part of the Democratic delegation from New York.

Born in 1883, Frank A. Oliver came of age as the United States was undergoing rapid industrialization and urban growth. Although detailed records of his early life and education are limited in standard reference sources, his eventual election to Congress from New York indicates that he established himself within the political and civic life of the state in the early twentieth century. Like many politicians of his era, he likely developed his public profile through involvement in local Democratic Party organizations and community affairs before seeking federal office.

Oliver was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives and began his congressional service in 1923. Over the course of six terms, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his New York constituents in national legislative debates. His tenure in Congress covered the administrations of Presidents Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, and the early years of Franklin D. Roosevelt. During this time, Congress addressed issues ranging from Prohibition and immigration to banking regulation and economic relief, and Oliver took part in the deliberations and votes that shaped federal policy in these areas.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Oliver served during the critical transition from the prosperity of the 1920s to the economic crisis of the 1930s. The stock market crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression placed extraordinary demands on Congress to respond to widespread unemployment, bank failures, and social dislocation. Within this context, Oliver’s role as a Democratic Representative from New York positioned him within a delegation that was increasingly engaged with questions of economic reform and federal responsibility for social welfare, particularly as the New Deal era began to take shape in the early 1930s.

After completing his sixth term, Oliver left Congress in 1935, concluding twelve years of continuous federal legislative service. His departure from the House marked the end of his direct role in national politics, although his years in office placed him among the notable Democratic figures from New York who served during one of the most consequential periods in modern American history. Frank A. Oliver lived until 1968, witnessing the long-term effects of the legislative and political transformations that had begun during his time in Congress. His career is distinct from that of several other individuals named Frank Oliver, including Frank Oliver (American football) (born 1952), an American football player; Frank Oliver (footballer) (1882–?), an English footballer; Frank Oliver (politician) (1853–1933), a Canadian politician; Frank Oliver (rugby union) (1948–2014), a New Zealand rugby player; Frank L. Oliver (1922–2018), a Pennsylvania House member since 1973 representing the 195th District; and one of the two fictional comic book characters to use the name Kangaroo.