Daniel Oliver (1870-1952) was born in Scotland to Scots Presbyterians. He was educated to the age of 15 or 16 and entered the mission field in Morocco. In 1890, Oliver went to Palestine, then studied Arabic at the American Mission in Beirut and worked at a mission school in Brummana. In 1895, Oliver married Emily Wright, a member of the Society of Friends and on the mission school faculty as well. They immediately went to work at a mission school at Ras-el-Metn which soon was giving vocational training to orphans. Daniel Oliver joined Friends in ca. 1907. In 1908, Daniel Oliver became principal of the Boys' School at Brummana and Emily Oliver was its manager and in 1909 had charge of the Girls's High School. They returned to Ras-el-Metn in 1910. From 1936-1946, Oliver published an Arabic weekly designed to promote peace in the Near East. He was awarded the Lebanese Order of Merit by the President of Lebanon as well as a golden medal ten years later for his efforts on behalf of Peace between Arabs and Jews.
A. Douglas Oliver is the son of Daniel and Emily Oliver who served as treasurer, based in Philadelphia, of the orphanages
B. Hubert Cooper, based in Philadelphia, was chairman of the board of the orphanages
Biographical information from the Dictionary of Quaker Biography, biographical sketches in typescript, Special Collections, Haverford College Library and internal evidence.
Correspondence is highlighted for content
Gifts, of Mr. and Mrs. Elliston P. Morris and Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Benson; also found among papers of Wm. Bacon Evans; J. Morris Evans (6053), Mrs. Elliston Morris (4166), Anna Morris (5553) and Mrs. W. Osterling (4896)<--> November, 1978 and May, 1980.
[Will be on furlough soon and will come to America to enroll their sons at Westtown School.]
[Has accepted the position of principal of the Boys' School in Brummana after death of former principal.]
[had charge of the Girls' High School in Brummana.]
[reasons for engaging in the work they do; some Druse sheiks have asked him to open a school for them which he will do.]
[has had eye trouble (which later resulted in the loss of use of one eye); encloses marks of the orphan whom the Potts' support; by intervention of the British Consul armed conflict between Druses and Christians avoided; will leave on furlough soon and will see their sons at Westtown.]
[made a successful visit to raise funds in England; has been appointed delegate to a peace conference in Vienna]
[Daniel Oliver has been taken prisoner of war by the Turkish in Damascus. He was supposed to have been a delegate to peace conf. in Vienna; their school in Brummana closed; war report.]
[Morrises have contributed to the orphanage for the maintenance of one of the orphans.]
[Service Committee has decided not to make further appropriation for their work in Syria (Lebanon); all work has stopped, other than the orphanages.]
[have brought some Armenian refugees to settle in Ras-el-Metn; Brummana trade school in operation.]
[orphans' communal jobs described; have become co-ed, and shown girls can achieve as well as boys.]
[orphans' communal jobs described; have become co-ed, and shown girls can achieve as well as boys.]
[subjects taught and regimen of the school.]
[report on the situation of Armenian and Greek Refugees after the Lausanne Conference, and in relationship to relief work set up at Ras-el-Metn, Syria +] printed.
[general progress report]
[general progress report. These always consist of school reports and usually report of the Middle East situation and Daniel Oliver's analyses and efforts toward amelioration.]
[progress report.]
[D.O. visited Palestine in peace effort to bring Arabs and Jews together.]
[general progress reports.]
[is going to start a weekly newspaper in Arabic to be sent to Arabs in Syria, Palestine, Iraq.]
[has again been to Palestine; discusses the British and Arab revolutionaries.]
[description of this periodical published by the Olivers, and its circulation.]
[against the brutal murders of some Arabs and Jews in Palestine.]
[visit to Palestine and talks with Palestinian and Arab leaders.]
[general progress report.]
[continuing report on the situation in the Middle East.]
[requests support for the orphanages which have taken in 27 refugee children from Palestine] +
[general progress reports.]
[Letters to friends of the orphanages, the first after the death of Daniel Oliver, relating that "this Quaker outpost" would be continued; reporting on the new Headmaster, Boutros Khoury, who grew up in the Orphanage, and other matters relating to the institution]