The Oliver Chair

The chair’s sculptural forms suggest it may have been assembled by multiple craftspeople; we can only speculate as to their cooperation in making it.

With patterns as his guide, the chairmaker arranged parts into blocks before cutting their rough shapes using the frame saw–the workhorse of his workshop. Next came raspshaves and cabinet scrapers to smooth and define curves.

Early Life and Education

Oliver hails from Miami Gardens and graduated with honor from Florida A&M University, making her mission celebrating all students in her classroom while prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion. Oliver’s dedication to her community helped shape her into the public figure she is today.

She is an active member of both the Oklahoma Higher Education Reading Council and International Literacy Association. She particularly enjoys working with undergraduate pre-service elementary and special education teachers as well as graduate students pursuing reading specialist degrees. Additionally, she leads numerous research initiatives as well as collaborates closely with colleagues in literacy education – this has resulted in the creation of a new strategic plan for Pitzer College as a result of her efforts.

Professional Career

Oliver specializes in complex commercial litigation in multiple jurisdictions. His clients include local and national banks, large nonprofit health corporations, manufacturers, as well as high-stakes class action litigation cases.

Professor Oliver’s research specializes in emerging interface technologies that span computer graphics to geometric modeling, virtual and augmented reality, collaborative networks for product development, complex system operation and training, as well as publishing over 80 papers with external funding totaling more than $3 Million as both Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator. He has received over $3 Million of external grants totalling more than $8 Million overall as Principal and co-Investigator respectively.

Oliver also serves on the boards of Far Hills Country Day School; various NAIS equity and justice initiatives; as well as co-leading a diversity think tank for NAIS trustees.

Achievement and Honors

At the opening faculty meeting on August 24, Sue Newton was delighted to receive the Raymond B. Oliver ’40 Endowed Teaching Chair awarded by Headmaster Charlie Britton as recognition of her relationships built with middle school students. This honor, named in memory of an outstanding educator, pays homage to those teachers whose dedication has inspired Sue.

At Cornell, Oliver pioneered the use of seismic observations to study Earth’s deep continental crust using seismic observations. Together with Bryan Isacks (co-author), their work eventually led to plate tectonic theory and plate profiling techniques. Oliver founded the Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling which eventually lead to major research programs across Africa and Asia.

Oliver was known for his dedication to his patients, trainees and colleagues – his dedication was recognized with multiple honors from Fred Hutch including an Ollie Press Endowed Fellowship (“The Ollie”) as well as receiving their Excellence in Mentorship Award in 2016. Furthermore he received the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Fellow honor.

Personal Life

Michael has taken his work around the globe, appearing as a featured guest on national news broadcasts and living with his wife and children in New York City.

He has also served as a management trainer and consultant, and serves on the Oliver Scholars Board of Trustees. Educational opportunities were key in shaping his own life, and now seeks to use those same opportunities to assist others.

Former Trustee of Far Hills Country Day School and deeply dedicated to social justice initiatives, she has an extensive record of community service. As the eldest child of Bill and Barbara Swofford she has three children of her own and two granddaughters.

Net Worth

Oliver chairs a hedge fund with over $600 million under management, as well as providing advice to ultra-high net worth individuals and assisting renowned advisor firms looking to enhance their practice.

Oliver is an active social media user, frequently posting funny or entertaining photos or videos from his home. Recently, his followers laughed as they witnessed him sitting in a prosthetic make-up chair for a film shoot and laughed at his uncanny look.

Oliver is married to Kate Norley, an Army veteran and veterans rights advocate working for Vets for Freedom. They share one son named Hudson. Oliver met Norley at the 2008 Republican Convention when she helped him avoid being kicked out by hiding them and their camera crew from being removed from a restricted area.