Robert Burett Oliver was a native of Cape Girardeau County. He attended the University of Missouri and established a law practice in Jackson, Missouri, in 1878. He moved his firm to Cape Girardeau in 1896. It later became Oliver & Oliver Law Firm when two of his sons joined the practice. Oliver was elected state senator in 1882, serving one term, and was involved in securing state funds for campus building at the University of Missouri. In addition to representing Cape Girardeau County in the Missouri General Assembly, 1903–1904, Oliver organized the Cape Girardeau County Historical Society. He researched and wrote many articles for the society’s newspaper. Oliver was a member of the Missouri Bar Association for fifty-four years.