Franklin D'Olier

Franklin D'Olier (April 28, 1877December 10, 1953) was an American businessman who served as the first national commander of The American Legion from 1919 to 1920. He was also the great-grandfather of actor Christopher Reeve. Early life and education Franklin D'Olier was born April 28, 1877, in Burlington, New Jersey, the son of Annie Kay (Woolman) and William D'Olier. He attended local school and prepared for Princeton University. He was graduated from Princeton in 1898, and immediately entered business with his father of William D'Olier & Company, commission merchants in cotton and cotton yarns, in Philadelphia. Upon his father's retirement from business, the firm name was changed to Franklin D'Olier & Company World War I D'Olier entered the military service of the United States in April, 1917, as a captain in the Quartermaster Corps. After a few weeks' service at the Philadelphia depot and several months at Boston, he was ordered to France in August, 1917. Owing to the great scarcity of tonnage at that time and the necessity for salvaging material on a large scale, D'Olier was assigned to the newly organized salvage service, and in January, 1918, took command of the first salvage depot that was operated by the American Army. Within six months the work had grown so rapidly that the personnel increased from 12 to 6,000 and this depot was salvaging for about 750,000 men and was larger than any depot operated by either the British or French armies. This depot was at Saint Pierre des Corps, near Tours, France, the headquarters of the Service of Supply.