Meet acclaimed writer, lecturer and storyteller Harvey E. Oyer III at the Wellington Historical Society’s upcoming Lunch & Learn. The event takes place at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 18 at the Wellington National Golf Club.
Oyer will share stories of Palm Beach County’s history, including some insight about how Wellington and the surrounding western communities came into being.
A fifth-generation native Floridian, Oyer is as much a part of local history as he is a lecturer on the topic. He is a descendant of pioneer settler Capt. Hannibal Dillingham Pierce, one of the first non-native Americans to settle in southeast Florida, arriving in 1872. His great-grand uncle, Charles William Pierce, homesteaded a portion of Hypoluxo Island, worked as a lighthouse keeper at the Jupiter Lighthouse, and served for years as one of the famed “Barefoot Mailmen.” He wrote a manuscript that, years after his death, was the basis for Pioneer Life in South Florida, considered an authoritative work on the area’s pioneer history.
Oyer himself has written or contributed to numerous books and articles on Florida and Florida’s history. His children’s book series “The Adventures of Charlie Pierce” is based on his great-grand uncle’s life. He is a noted writer and lecturer on topics ranging from law, history and archaeology to international laws regarding antiquities trafficking.
Oyer was born in Boynton Beach. He attended the University of Florida, where he graduated with a degree in economics. He won a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and studied graduate economics at the Australian National University in Canberra. He graduated with a master’s degree in archaeology from the University of Cambridge in England and a law degree with honors from the University of Florida College of Law. He is a partner with the law firm of Shutts & Bowen LLP.
Tickets for the event are $30 for members and $40 for non-members, and include lunch. Visit www.wellingtonhistoricalsociety.org to get tickets.
