Oliver Ames
Encyclopedia
Oliver Ames was a U.S. political figure and financier. He was the 35th Governor
of Massachusetts
(1887–1890). He was the son of Oakes Ames (1804–1873), a United States Congress
man who was censured in the Credit Mobilier
scandal, and the nephew of Oliver Ames, Jr.
.
. He was apprenticed in his father's shovel factory, and was later educated at Brown University
. In 1863, he became a partner in Ames & Sons. For ten years, he superintended the mechanical business of the establishment, and on his father's death assumed control of his numerous financial trusts, including shares in the Union Pacific Railroad
.
As his father's heir, Ames spent several years in paying off the obligations of millions of dollars incurred by the Union Pacific Railroad and other undertakings. He entered public life avowedly to vindicate his father's memory: he was lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts 1882-86, in 1883 obtained the vindicatory resolution he sought, and from 1886 to 1888 was governor
.
Together with his brother Oakes Angier Ames
, Oliver created many important buildings and landscapes in North Easton with architect H. H. Richardson and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted
.
(1874–1950) was a well-known American botanist and orchid expert.
music fraternity in 1917, by the fraternity's Alpha Chapter at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He is the only known honorary member known to be elected after his death.
The Easton, Massachusetts
public high school is named Oliver Ames High School
(OAHS).
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
(1887–1890). He was the son of Oakes Ames (1804–1873), a United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
man who was censured in the Credit Mobilier
Credit Mobilier
Credit Mobilier may refer to:* Crédit Mobilier, a large French bank* Crédit Mobilier of America, an American railroad construction company setup by the Union Pacific Railroad to build the First Transcontinental Railroad in the 1860s *...
scandal, and the nephew of Oliver Ames, Jr.
Oliver Ames, Jr.
Oliver Ames, Jr. was president of Union Pacific Railroad when the railroad met the Central Pacific Railroad in Utah for the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in North America.-Biography:...
.
Biography
Ames was born in North Easton, MassachusettsEaston, Massachusetts
Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census.Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.- History :...
. He was apprenticed in his father's shovel factory, and was later educated at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
. In 1863, he became a partner in Ames & Sons. For ten years, he superintended the mechanical business of the establishment, and on his father's death assumed control of his numerous financial trusts, including shares in the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
As his father's heir, Ames spent several years in paying off the obligations of millions of dollars incurred by the Union Pacific Railroad and other undertakings. He entered public life avowedly to vindicate his father's memory: he was lieutenant-governor of Massachusetts 1882-86, in 1883 obtained the vindicatory resolution he sought, and from 1886 to 1888 was governor
Governor of Massachusetts
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
.
Together with his brother Oakes Angier Ames
Oakes Angier Ames
Oakes Angier Ames was a wealthy industrialist and philanthropist in the Ames family of North Easton, Massachusetts. His brother Oliver Ames was Governor of Massachusetts....
, Oliver created many important buildings and landscapes in North Easton with architect H. H. Richardson and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted
Frederick Law Olmsted was an American journalist, social critic, public administrator, and landscape designer. He is popularly considered to be the father of American landscape architecture, although many scholars have bestowed that title upon Andrew Jackson Downing...
.
Family
His son Oakes AmesOakes Ames (botanist)
Oakes Ames was an American botanist specializing in orchids. His estate is now the Borderland State Park in Massachusetts....
(1874–1950) was a well-known American botanist and orchid expert.
Honors
Ames was elected an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha SinfoniaPhi Mu Alpha Sinfonia
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia is an American collegiate social fraternity for men with a special interest in music...
music fraternity in 1917, by the fraternity's Alpha Chapter at the New England Conservatory in Boston. He is the only known honorary member known to be elected after his death.
The Easton, Massachusetts
Easton, Massachusetts
Easton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 23,112 at the 2010 census.Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator.- History :...
public high school is named Oliver Ames High School
Oliver Ames High School
Oliver Ames High School is a public high school in Easton, Massachusetts. The school currently enrolls approximately 1200 students in grades 9 through 12...
(OAHS).
See also
- Ames Shovel ShopAmes Shovel ShopThe Ames Shovel Shops, also known as just Ames Shovel Shop, is a historic 19th century industrial complex located in North Easton, Massachusetts. It is part of the North Easton Historic District, and consists of several granite buildings constructed between 1852 and 1885, along with several newer...
- Schooner Governor AmesGovernor AmesThe Governor Ames was the first five-masted schooner. In the late 19th century, she was the world's largest cargo vessel.She was launched on December 1, 1888 by the Leavitt-Storer shipyard of Waldoboro, Maine, United States, and named after Oliver Ames...
- Ames Free LibraryAmes Free LibraryThe Ames Free Library is a public library designed by noted American architect H. H. Richardson. It is located at 53 Main Street, Easton, Massachusetts, immediately adjacent to another Richardson building, Oakes Ames Memorial Hall....