James Frederick Oyster
Oyster in 1923
Member of the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners
In office
March 21, 1921 – May 19, 1925
Personal details
Born(1851-02-14)February 14, 1851
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedMay 19, 1925(1925-05-19) (aged 74)
Resting placeOak Hill Cemetery
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Children2
Occupation
  • Politician
  • merchant

James Frederick Oyster (February 14, 1851 – May 19, 1925) was a member of the District of Columbia Board of Commissioners, president of the DC Board of Education and merchant. During his time as a commissioner, Oyster helped enforce Prohibition and gambling laws in the District of Columbia and worked to remedy traffic issues in the city by establishing one-lane streets and block signal traffic lights.

Early life

James Frederick Oyster[1] was born on February 14, 1851, in Washington, D.C. He was educated in public schools and the Rittenhouse Academy.[2]

Career

In 1871, Oyster joined his father and brother in the butter and egg business in Washington, D.C. After his father's retirement in 1886 and his brother's retirement in 1889, Oyster led the business.[2]

Oyster served as vice president and director of the Washington Chamber of Commerce. He then served as president for two years.[2] Oyster was also the president of the Board of Trade.[2] He served as president of the Board of Education from 1906 to 1913.[2]

Oyster was a member of the Washington Light Infantry Corps. He assisted with the organization National Rifles and held the rank of captain until 1895.[2]

In 1914, Oyster was appointed as a member of the Federal Reserve Board for the Fifth District. He served three terms; last elected in 1920. He served on the Rent Commission for the District of Columbia from January 21, 1920, to his resignation on March 21, 1921.[2]

1921 political cartoon by Clifford K. Berryman of Oyster and his "War on Weeds"

On March 21, 1921, Oyster was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for the District of Columbia. He served alongside Commissioner Cuno H. Rudolph. In his role as commissioner, he served as the head of the police, fire, health, playgrounds, and the weights and measures office. He was elected again in 1924 and served as commissioner until his death.[2][1][3] In 1921, Oyster argued before the District of Columbia Public Service Commission for the merger of the Washington Railway and Electric Company and the Potomac Electric Power Company.[4][5]

During his administration, Oyster supported the enforcement of the Prohibition Laws and the prosecution of gamblers.[6][7] In 1923, Oyster filed complaints that prohibition agents weren't enforcing the Prohibition Laws.[8] Oyster also worked to combat traffic issues in the city. He argued for lower speed limits in Washington, D.C. to help combat traffic issues in the city. He also led the effort to establish one-way streets in the city.[6][9][10] In 1924, Oyster tested out block signal traffic lights within the District of Columbia to replace the hand-operated semaphores.[11] Oyster was in favor of the District of Columbia having representation in the United States Congress.[12] In 1921, Oyster was known for his campaign against weeds in Washington, D.C. and his goal to "make Washington a weedless city". He worked with the health and police departments to make it unlawful for weeds to grow longer than four inches.[13]

Oyster operated the business James F. Oyster Inc. and Norman W. Oyster Inc. At the time of his death, the interest in his companies was shared between his son, daughter and Clark G. Diamond.[14]

Personal life

In 1900, Oyster built a summer residence in Bethesda, Maryland called Strathmore Hall. He sold the mansion in 1908 to Charles Corby.[15][16]

Funeral of Oyster in 1925

Oyster had a son and a daughter: James F. and Helene.[14] Oyster died on May 19, 1925. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.[17] His funeral was attended by President Calvin Coolidge.[18]

Legacy

The James F. Oyster School opened in 1926, at 29th and Calvert Street NW in Woodley Park, Washington, D.C. It was named after Oyster. In the 1960s and 1970s, the school became bilingual with the influx of Spanish-speaking immigrants to Washington, D.C. Today, it is called the Oyster-Adams Bilingual School.[19][20][21]

References

  1. 1 2 Preliminary Inventory of the Records of the Government of the District of Columbia, Record Group 351. General Services Administration. 1976. p. 10. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (1926). Proceedings of Thirty-Seventh Annual Convention. p. 422. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Rudolph and Oyster Sworn in for Term". Evening Star. April 22, 1924. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ↑ "Gardiner in Favor of Oyster's Plans to Hasten Merger". Evening Star. March 21, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  5. ↑ Merger of Street Railways in the District of Columbia. United States Senate. 1921. pp. 3–4, 20–22. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  6. 1 2 "District Joins US in War on Liquor". Evening Star. April 10, 1921. p. 2. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ↑ "Oyster Would Jail Bookies Awaiting Trial". The Washington Times. August 22, 1922. p. 10. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  8. ↑ "Police Exposure by "Dry" Officials Threat in "Feud"". Evening Star. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  9. ↑ "Commissioners Divided on Twelve-Mile-an-Hour Speed Limit". The Washington Times. p. 17. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ↑ "First Step Taken for Establishing One-Way Streets". Evening Star. December 22, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  11. ↑ "May Move Traffic By Block Signal". Evening Star. September 29, 1924. p. 2. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  12. ↑ "Oyster in Plea for Vote in Congress". Evening Star. January 13, 1922. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  13. ↑ "Oyster Renews War on Weeds; Notices Served on 125 Owners". Evening Star. July 7, 1921. p. 1. Retrieved August 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  14. 1 2 "Miss Oyster To Wed". Evening Star. December 30, 1925. p. 2. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  15. ↑ "National Register of Historic Places - Moreland" (PDF). Maryland Historical Trust. June 27, 2005. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 31, 2021. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  16. ↑ "Mansion History". strathmore.org. Archived from the original on April 20, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Oak Hill Cemetery, Georgetown, D.C. (Reno Hill) - Lots 678 and 679" (PDF). Oak Hill Cemetery. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 2, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  18. ↑ "Coolidge Attends Commissioner's Rites". San Francisco Examiner. May 22, 1925. p. 1. Retrieved August 22, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  19. ↑ Timberlake, Joan (February 7, 1985). "Schools: What's In a Name? The Folks Behind Building Titles". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  20. ↑ "Oyster–Adams Exhibit". storyofourschools.org. Retrieved August 22, 2022.
  21. ↑ "What's In A Name: Profiles of the Trailblazers" (PDF). p. 49. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2019.

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