Edmund Henry Oliver was born on 8 February 1881 at Chatham Township, Ontario. He attended both the University of Toronto and Columbia University, from which he received a PhD in 1905. From 1905-9 he taught at McMaster University, and then joined the University of Saskatchewan as Professor of History and Economics. He resigned in 1912 to become Principal of St. Andrew's College. During WWI he was Chaplain of the 196th Battalion and in 1917 launched the University of Vimy Ridge. In 1930 he was elected Moderator of the United Church of Canada. Dr. Oliver died suddenly on 11 July 1935.

Robert Edward Olley was born in Verdun, Quebec, in 1933. He attended Carleton University through night school, receiving a BA in Economics and Political Science in 1960. He continued with postgraduate work at Queen's University earning both his MA (1961) and PhD (1969). He joined the faculty at the University of Saskatchewan in 1963 and, by 1974, had been promoted to the rank of full Professor. He has worked as visiting economic advisor to Bell Canada, specifically regarding efficient use of capital and has served as an advisor to several North American telecommunications companies, regarding productivity measurement. He was named Director of Research for the 1967-68 Royal Commission on Consumer Problems and Inflation for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and has served as both Vice-President and Chairman of the Board of Governors for the Consumers' Association of Canada. He retired from the University of Saskatchewan in 1993 and was named Professor Emeritus.