Hoyt Oliver
1936 - 2021
Hoyt Oliver, a third generation Oxford College student, attended Oxford College in the 1950s. After earning a B.A. degree in philosophy in 1956, he attended the Candler School of Theology for a year before going on a three year Methodist missionary trip to Korea. While there, Oliver witnessed first-hand the overthrow of the South Korean President Syngman Rhee and his regime. Experiencing the revolution had a profound effect on Oliver. When he returned to the United States, he resumed his studies at Boston University School of Theology, earning his B.A degree in sacred theology. After graduating, he became an ordained Methodist minister and went on to Yale University, earning a PhD in religion and higher education in 1966. He was immediately recruited by Oxford College and accepted a professorship of sociology, psychology, philosophy, and religion. He held the Lovick Pierce and Bishop George F. Pierce Chair of Religion, Oxford College’s only endowed professorship, and chaired the Oxford Self-Study Committee in 1971-72 that plotted the 10-year plan for the college.
During his years at Emory, Oliver was recognized as an innovator. He developed a course in human sexuality three years before a similar course was offered on the Atlanta campus. He also established an off-campus course entitled, Social Problems in Contemporary Society, which required students to live in inner-city Atlanta for nearly two weeks while they visited prisons, hospital emergency room, gay bars, and inner-city missions. He also established a science and religion course at the college that examined the relationship between the two highly complex topics. Oliver, a practicing Methodist Christian as well as a Buddhist, left a legacy of open-mindedness and an appreciation for the diversity of religion at Oxford College. Oliver was honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including The Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and Teacher of the Year from Phi Theta Kappa.
During his years at Emory, Oliver was recognized as an innovator. He developed a course in human sexuality three years before a similar course was offered on the Atlanta campus. He also established an off-campus course entitled, Social Problems in Contemporary Society, which required students to live in inner-city Atlanta for nearly two weeks while they visited prisons, hospital emergency room, gay bars, and inner-city missions. He also established a science and religion course at the college that examined the relationship between the two highly complex topics. Oliver, a practicing Methodist Christian as well as a Buddhist, left a legacy of open-mindedness and an appreciation for the diversity of religion at Oxford College. Oliver was honored with numerous awards throughout his career, including The Fleming Award for Excellence in Teaching and Teacher of the Year from Phi Theta Kappa.
An accomplished woodworker, Oliver carved and sculpted wood most of his life. Several of his sculptures are on display at Oxford College and his largest piece, entitled “I Am The Door,” showing Jesus as a woodworker, hangs at Conyers First Methodist Church. Oliver also carved over 2,000 pens crafted from the wood of Oxford’s beloved Yarbrough Oak that was lost to disease in 2002. The proceeds from the selling of the pens goes to the planting and maintenance of trees in Oxford.
In 1982, Oliver was selected to serve out a parting city councilmember’s unexpired term and then was elected for a full four-year term in 1999. He also served on the city’s Planning Commission for eight years and authored Oxford’s Future Land Use Plan of 1992. While serving on Oxford’s city council, Oliver won the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Outstanding Elected Official Award in November 2001 for his exceptional work in the field of urban forestry. Oliver spearheaded the project to propagate several hundred seedlings from Oxford’s prized Yarbrough Oak so that, although the beloved tree was in decline, it would live on through its offspring. Oliver was also instrumental to the Turkey Creek Nature Trail project. He wrote the successful grant proposal to the Georgia Forestry Commission, giving the city over $7,000 to begin the nature trail and arboretum project.
In 1982, Oliver was selected to serve out a parting city councilmember’s unexpired term and then was elected for a full four-year term in 1999. He also served on the city’s Planning Commission for eight years and authored Oxford’s Future Land Use Plan of 1992. While serving on Oxford’s city council, Oliver won the Georgia Urban Forest Council’s Outstanding Elected Official Award in November 2001 for his exceptional work in the field of urban forestry. Oliver spearheaded the project to propagate several hundred seedlings from Oxford’s prized Yarbrough Oak so that, although the beloved tree was in decline, it would live on through its offspring. Oliver was also instrumental to the Turkey Creek Nature Trail project. He wrote the successful grant proposal to the Georgia Forestry Commission, giving the city over $7,000 to begin the nature trail and arboretum project.