Harvey Eugene Oyer III

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Harvey Eugene Oyer III (born April 5, 1968) is an American author[1] and
attorney[2] from West Palm Beach, Florida. Best known for his award-winning
children's book series "The Adventures of Charlie Pierce",[3] he was named Florida
Distinguished Author in 2013[4]

Contents
1 Early life and education
2 Career
2.1 Writing
2.2 Public speaker
2.3 Historic preservation
2.4 Board memberships
3 Publications
4 Honors and awards
5 References
Early life and education
Oyer was born in Boynton Beach, Florida, the son of Harvey Eugene Oyer Jr., a
former Boynton Beach Mayor, and Linda Eve Oyer. A fifth generation Floridian, Oyer
is the great-great grandson of pioneer settler Captain Hannibal Dillingham Pierce,
who was one of the first non-Native Americans to settle in Southeast Florida,
arriving in 1872.[5] Pierce was one of several early settlers who planted thousands
of coconuts salvaged from a Spanish shipwreck in 1878.[5] The resulting acres of
coconut palms eventually provided Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, and Palm Beach
County with their respective names.[6] Oyer is the great grandson of Lillie Pierce
Voss, the first white child born between Jupiter and Miami, an area that now has
approximately 6 million people. She was inducted into the Florida Women's Hall of
Fame in 2013.[7] He is the great grand nephew of Charles William Pierce, for whom
Oyer's children's book series is named. Pierce was elected a Great Floridian in
2009.[8]

Oyer attended the University of Florida where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Economics with high honors and with election to Phi Beta Kappa.[9] He won
a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and studied graduate economics at the Australian
National University in Canberra, Australia. Oyer graduated with a Master of
Philosophy in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge in England and with a
Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Florida College of Law.[9] He was
admitted to the Florida Bar in 1998. He served in the United States Marine Corps,
attaining the rank of captain.[9]

Career
Writing
Oyer has written or contributed to a number of books and articles, predominantly
about Florida and Florida's history. He is best known as the author of The
Adventures of Charlie Pierce children's book series,[10] which is widely used in
Florida schools. The first book in the series, �The American Jungle�, was published
in 2008. The second book in the series, �The Last Egret�, was published in 2010.
The third book in the series, �The Last Calusa�, was published in 2012. The fourth
book in the series, "The Barefoot Mailman", was published in 2015.[11] The fifth
book in the series, "Charlie and the Tycoon", was published in 2016.[12] His books
have won numerous awards and have sold over 100,000 copies in Florida.[13]

In 2013, Oyer was named Florida Distinguished Author by Florida House in Washington
D.C.[14]

Public speaker
Oyer is a noted speaker, lecturer, and storyteller who regularly lectures about
Florida's history and environment. He was an Adjunct Professor of Law at the
University of Miami School of Law and an Adjunct Professor of Political Science at
the Florida Atlantic University Honors College.[9] He has been a guest lecturer at
a number of schools and universities, including Palm Beach Atlantic University and
Vanderbilt University Law School.[15]

Historic preservation
Oyer has been involved in a number of historic preservation efforts. In the early
to mid-2000s, he led the effort to save and restore the historic 1916 Palm Beach
County Courthouse which was under the threat of demolition.[16] He later led the
effort to create the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum in
the restored building.[17] In the late 2000s, he helped lead the effort to restore
iconic Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.[18]

Board memberships
Oyer served for seven years as the Chairman of the Historical Society of Palm Beach
County,[19] as the 100th Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches,
[20] and as a board member of the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium,[16]
Florida Historical Society,[21] Palm Beach United Way, Palm Beach State College
Foundation, and Palm Beach County Education Commission.

Publications
The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: Charlie and the Tycoon, 2016
The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: The Barefoot Mailman, 2015
The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: The Last Calusa, 2012
The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: The Last Egret, 2010
The Adventures of Charlie Pierce: The American Jungle, 2008
Wrote the Foreword, Pioneering Palm Beach: The Deweys and the South Florida
Frontier, by Ginger L. Pedersen and Janet M. Devries, 2012
Wrote the Foreword, Lila Vanderbilt Webb's Miradero, A Window on an Era, by Robert
Ganger, 2005
Wrote the Foreword, Black, Gold and Silver Sands, A Pictorial History of
Agriculture in Palm Beach County, by James Snyder, 2004
�The Wreck of the Providencia in 1878 and the Naming of Palm Beach County,� Vol.
29, South Florida History, Nov. 4, 2001
�Barefoot Mailman, A Job that Became a Legend,� Vol. 28, South Florida History,
Nov. 4, 2000
Honors and awards
Oyer has been awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor,[22] the Thomas Jefferson
Award for Public Service,[23] National Society of Daughters of the American
Revolution National Community Service Award[24] and was named one of the �100 Most
Influential Floridians� by Florida International magazine[25] and a Legend of Palm
Beach by Palm Beach Illustrated magazine.[26]

References
"Harvey E. Oyer III (Author of Last Egret)"
. Goodreads.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
Author Tony Doris (2015-05-20). "Wawa gets a go-go � West Palm Beat"
. Westpalmbeat.blog.palmbeachpost.com. Retrieved 2019-10-29. {{cite web}}: |author=
has generic name (help)
"The Adventures of Charlie Pierce"
. The Adventures of Charlie Pierce. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
"Author Honored for Children's Book Trilogy on Florida History, Patch, Aug. 30,
2013"
. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
Pioneer Life in Southeast Florida by Charles William Pierce, University of Miami
Press, 1970
The Wreck of the Providencia in 1878 and the Naming of Palm Beach County, South
Florida History, Vol. 29, No. 4, 2001
"Governor Rick Scott Selects Three Inductees for Florida Women's Hall of Fame"
. flgov.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
"Great Floridians Program"
. myflorida.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
"Harvey Oyer, Shutts & Bowen, West Palm Beach, Land Use: Florida Law Firm,
Attorneys"
. shutts.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
"The Adventures of Charlie Pierce - Best Selling Children's Book Series"
. theadventuresofcharliepierce.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
"Historian adds new barefoot mailman book to children's series"
. palmbeachdailynews.com. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
"Children greet Flagler adventure writer Harvey Oyer"
. palmbeachdailynews.com. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
"Middler River Press: Awards"
. middleriverpress.com. Archived from the original
on 23 February 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
Author Honored for Children�s Book Trilogy on Florida History, Patch, Aug. 30,
2013. http://patch.com/florida/landolakes/author-honored-for-childrens-book-
trilogy-on-florida-history_3760b6ee
"Harvey E. Oyer III.(News and Notes)"
. highbeam.com. Archived from the original
on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
Attorney Carries On Family Pioneer Spirit , Palm Beach Daily News
http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/attorneycarries-onfamilyspioneer-
spirit/ndNb9/
Palm Beach Daily News. http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/royal-
poinciana-chapel-harvey-oyer-earn-historical/nMGFp/
"Q & A with attorney Harvey Oyer"
. The Real Deal Miami. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
Royal Poinciana Chapel, Harvey Oyer Earn Historical Society Awards, Palm Beach
Daily News, Apr. 20, 2010. http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/royal-
poinciana-chapel-harvey-oyer-earn-historical/nMGFp/
New Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches Chairman Ready to Lead on Major
Business Project, Palm Beach Post, Dec. 23, 2012.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/new-chamber-chairman-ready-to-lead-on-
major-busine/nTYZc/
Attorney Carries On Family Pioneer Spirit, Palm Beach Daily News
http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/news/local/attorneycarries-onfamilyspioneer-
spirit/ndNb9/
Congressional Record, Vol. 157, Issue 99. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CREC-2011-
07-06/html/CREC-2011-07-06-pt1-PgE1236.htm
"Palm Beach Leadership Council - World LEADERS Group"
. worldleadersgroup.com. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
South Florida City Biz List. http://southflorida.citybizlist.com/contributed-
article/shutts-bowen-partner-harvey-oyer-receiving-national-dar-community-service-
award
"Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches"
. palmbeaches.org. Archived from the original
on 9 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
 Palm Beach Illustrated, Mar. 2012. http://issuu.com/pbmg/docs/pbi_0312?
e=1231778/3237595
Categories: 1968 birthsAlumni of the University of CambridgeAustralian National
University alumniLiving peoplePeople from Boynton Beach, FloridaFredric G. Levin
College of Law alumniWriters from Florida
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