Dr. James Henry “Jim” Oliver Jr., Callaway professor of biology emeritus, passed away July 18, 2018, after a long illness. Born in Augusta, Georgia, on March 10, 1931, Jim was raised in Waynesboro, Georgia.
He earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Georgia Southern University (then Georgia Teachers’ College) and a master of arts in parasitology from Florida State University.
Jim served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps at Fort Detrick, Maryland, before acquiring a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Kansas. He was a postdoctoral fellow in cytogenetics at Melbourne University, Australia.
Jim worked as an assistant professor and associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley Department of Entomology and Parasitology; as an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Entomology and as a Callaway professor at Georgia Southern University’s Department of Biology.
As director of Georgia Southern University’s Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology, he was instrumental in bringing the U.S. National Tick Collection to Georgia Southern University and the first scanning electron microscope.
He visited and lectured at laboratories and universities in 25 countries. He consulted for the U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in Cairo, Egypt; for the U.S. Army 406 Medical Lab at Camp Zama Hospital, Japan; and for the C.S.I.R.O. Entomology Research Labs in Brisbane, Australia. He spent time as a visiting professor at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, and at Mie University in Tsu, Japan.
Jim supervised the research of 30 master’s students, nine doctoral students and 30 postdoctoral students from 11 countries. Publishing over 250 scientific papers and 14 book chapters, he received over 50 honors and awards for his research. He served as president of such organizations as the Entomological Society of America, the Acarological Society of America and the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists.
A Will Watt and Paul Harris Fellow, Jim was a longtime member of Rotary International.
Jim will be remembered by family and friends for his tremendous work ethic, which he applied to his extracurricular activities as well as his professional career. Jim worked to become a standout in high school sports, worked diligently to become Georgia’s 1950 Golden Glove boxing champion and devoted many hours to gardening and yard work.
Jim is survived by his wife of 61 years, Susan Shuster Oliver; and by his two sons and their families, James Henry Oliver III, his wife, Virginia, and their daughter, Kate; and Andrew Charles Oliver, his wife, Dawn, and their daughters, Lindsey and Paige.
The Oliver family would like to thank Dr. Andrew Cichelli, Dr. Thomas Crews and Dr. Will Jackson of Statesboro; Dr. Thomas Swift at the Medical College of Georgia’s Neurology Department in Augusta, the staff of Ogeechee Area Hospice and the staff and sitters at the Southern Manor Senior Living Facility, who gave comfort and care to Jim in his final days.
The visitation will be held on Friday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Joiner-Anderson with the Rev. Jimmy Cason officiating.
Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Rotary Club of Statesboro.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to First United Methodist Church of Statesboro Building Fund, 101 South Main Street, Statesboro, GA 30458.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.
Statesboro Herald, July 20, 2018
He earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Georgia Southern University (then Georgia Teachers’ College) and a master of arts in parasitology from Florida State University.
Jim served in the U.S. Army Chemical Corps at Fort Detrick, Maryland, before acquiring a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Kansas. He was a postdoctoral fellow in cytogenetics at Melbourne University, Australia.
Jim worked as an assistant professor and associate professor at the University of California at Berkeley Department of Entomology and Parasitology; as an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s Department of Entomology and as a Callaway professor at Georgia Southern University’s Department of Biology.
As director of Georgia Southern University’s Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology, he was instrumental in bringing the U.S. National Tick Collection to Georgia Southern University and the first scanning electron microscope.
He visited and lectured at laboratories and universities in 25 countries. He consulted for the U.S. Navy Medical Research Unit in Cairo, Egypt; for the U.S. Army 406 Medical Lab at Camp Zama Hospital, Japan; and for the C.S.I.R.O. Entomology Research Labs in Brisbane, Australia. He spent time as a visiting professor at Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa, and at Mie University in Tsu, Japan.
Jim supervised the research of 30 master’s students, nine doctoral students and 30 postdoctoral students from 11 countries. Publishing over 250 scientific papers and 14 book chapters, he received over 50 honors and awards for his research. He served as president of such organizations as the Entomological Society of America, the Acarological Society of America and the Southeastern Society of Parasitologists.
A Will Watt and Paul Harris Fellow, Jim was a longtime member of Rotary International.
Jim will be remembered by family and friends for his tremendous work ethic, which he applied to his extracurricular activities as well as his professional career. Jim worked to become a standout in high school sports, worked diligently to become Georgia’s 1950 Golden Glove boxing champion and devoted many hours to gardening and yard work.
Jim is survived by his wife of 61 years, Susan Shuster Oliver; and by his two sons and their families, James Henry Oliver III, his wife, Virginia, and their daughter, Kate; and Andrew Charles Oliver, his wife, Dawn, and their daughters, Lindsey and Paige.
The Oliver family would like to thank Dr. Andrew Cichelli, Dr. Thomas Crews and Dr. Will Jackson of Statesboro; Dr. Thomas Swift at the Medical College of Georgia’s Neurology Department in Augusta, the staff of Ogeechee Area Hospice and the staff and sitters at the Southern Manor Senior Living Facility, who gave comfort and care to Jim in his final days.
The visitation will be held on Friday from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday at 11 a.m. in the chapel of Joiner-Anderson with the Rev. Jimmy Cason officiating.
Honorary pallbearers will be the members of the Rotary Club of Statesboro.
The family requests that memorial contributions be made to First United Methodist Church of Statesboro Building Fund, 101 South Main Street, Statesboro, GA 30458.
Friends may sign the online register book at www.joineranderson.com.
Joiner-Anderson Funeral Home & Crematory of Statesboro is in charge of the arrangements.
Statesboro Herald, July 20, 2018
Sign the Legacy online guestbook at www.statesboroherald.com.