Henry J. Oliver was born in Waldron, Arkansas, on September 1, 1925. After serving in the US Marine Corps during World War II, Oliver spent 30 years working for the FBI in Washington, DC, where, among other things, he investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. After returning to Arkansas, he served as Fort Smith’s Chief of Police. During his time in Fort Smith, he developed a close relationship with Governor Clinton amid the Cuban Refugee Crisis at Fort Chaffee. After the crisis, he served various positions in state government, including Director of the State Crime Lab, State Liaison to local Law Enforcement Agencies, Director of the Arkansas Transportation Safety Agency, and Chief of Staff for the Office of the Governor.
Henry J. Oliver died on August 30, 2012.
#1: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Henry J. Oliver; Fort Smith, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Henry J. Oliver; Fort Smith, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Henry J. Oliver; Fort Smith, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
