Doing something to gather information on old Oliver dealerships sounds like a worthwhile project.  Maybe the different HPOCA chapters could do it for dealers in their area.

I think one of the best things the HPOCA could do right now is work with the Floyd County Museum to put the build cards on some type of computerized data base.  This was discussed at the Winter Get Together and it was noted that there is handwritten information on the back of the ADP punch cards that were created for each tractor that was made.  As a much younger fellow I worked for the Army using the type of punch cards that were used to create the build cards.  The more these cards were handled the greater the chance they would be misplaced and any data written or even typed on them would fade as time went by.  

Oliver collectors are really very lucky that these cards were saved and are now available.  Most collectors of tractors that were made by companies that are no longer in business don't have such a resource available.  If the club can do anything to help Floyd County maintain this data base I'm all for it.  I worked on a case for the Department of Defense about 20 years ago where we computerized data for an international legal case.  When it was done you could sort info, do computer searches and research and the original documents were not further degraded by continuous handling.  I would think that since then there must be  new methods available to create data bases for such things as the build cards.   It might cost us some dollars, but it would be something that many could use in the coming years to help identify tractors that are being collected.

I think the club should make a formal offer to help.  It would be the museum that would make the final decision as to accepting such an offer.  Hopefully they would accept the offer and an agreement's spelling out the particulars could be reached before either party got too involved.

Bill Brandt