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 Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic ...

and gambling laws in the

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and worked to remedy traffic issues in the city by establishing one-lane streets and

block signal Railway signalling (), also called railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormou ...

traffic lights.

Early life

James Frederick Oyster was born on February 14, 1851, in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

He was educated in public schools and the Rittenhouse Academy.

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

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. In 1921, Oyster argued before the

District of Columbia Public Service Commission The District of Columbia Public Service Commission (formerly the District of Columbia Public Utilities Commission) is an independent quasi-judicial body and regulatory agency responsible for regulating landline telephone, electricity, and gas util ...

for the merger of the Washington Railway and Electric Company and the Potomac Electric Power Company. During his administration, Oyster supported the enforcement of the Prohibition Laws and the prosecution of gamblers. In 1923, Oyster filed complaints that prohibition agents weren't enforcing the Prohibition Laws. 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. In 1924, Oyster tested out

traffic lights within the District of Columbia to replace the hand-operated

semaphore Semaphore (; ) is the use of an apparatus to create a visual signal transmitted over distance. A semaphore can be performed with devices including: fire, lights, flags, sunlight, and moving arms. Semaphores can be used for telegraphy when arra ...

s. Oyster was in favor of the District of Columbia having representation in the

United States Congress The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...

. 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. 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.

Personal life

In 1900, Oyster built a summer residence in

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

called

Strathmore Hall Strathmore is a cultural and artistic venue and institution in North Bethesda, Maryland, United States. Strathmore was founded in 1981 and consists of two venues: the Mansion and the Music Center. It is the home to hundreds of performances and ...

. He sold the mansion in 1908 to

Charles Corby Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

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

Calvin Coolidge Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...

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.

References

External links