Adam H. Sarver

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Adam H. Sarver
?

• Who was Adam H. Sarver

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• Adam Hass Sarver ,
• a business executive, was associated with
  General Motors Corporation of Detroit, Michigan,
  for twenty years. In addition to his various
  business interests, he was prominent in church
  affairs and philanthropical activities.

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Born at Sarver, Butler County, Pennsylvania, on
December 25, 1866
Most of the Sarvers in this country came to the
colonies about 1799 from southern France,
Germany, and Switzerland. They were Lutheran or
Quakers and immigrated due to religious
persecution. The earliest Sarver to settle in
Pennsylvania was Philip Sarver who settled near
present day Sarver on land granted him for
service in the Revolutionary War.
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The son of John Frank and Agnes Elizabeth
(Kirkpatrick) Sarver. Adams father was a farmer.
Adam and his 7 brothers and sisters worked on
their family farm. (farm value in 1870 2,200.)
Married Ottie Pillow September 1891
Adam H. Sarver was educated in Butler County
Public Schools and at Old Prospect Academy from
1887-1892. He taught school in Buffalo Township,
Pennsylvania before becoming a traveling salesman.
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Born Eleanor Sarver, January 1895 Daughter of
Adam H. and Ottie Sarver
1900 Adam H. Sarver works as a traveling
salesman for Leighner-Martincourt, buggy, wagon,
and sleigh dealers in Butler, PA.
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1888 Adam H. Sarver goes into business for
himself handling local sales for the Durant-Dort
Buggy Company as well as starting a 45 year
association and close friendship with W.C Durant.
(founder of General Motors). When W.C. Durants
firm began the manufacture of automobiles,
Mr. Sarver was awarded the agency franchise for
Western Pennsylvania.
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1907-1917 Adam H. Sarver serves as general
manager and distributor for the Pittsburgh branch
of Buick.
1910 Adam H., Ottie, and Eleanor Sarver living
at 309 Main St. Butler, PA
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1916 W.C. Durant and his Chevrolet Co. take
control of the Scripps-Booth Motor Company.
1917 Adam H. Sarver becomes President of the
Scripps Booth Corp. the leading automobile
factory of General Motors in Detroit, MI.
1918 Chevrolet merges into General Motors (GM)
Corp. and Scripps-Booth goes with it.
Scripps-Booth becomes the 7th car division of GM,
producing luxury motor cars.
1918 Adam H. Sarver moves to Detroit, living at
the Staler Hotel
1919 Adam H. Sarver and his family, wife Ottie,
daughter Eleanor and husband Harold Allen family
move to 655 Chicago Blvd. Detroit, MI
After disappointing sales, GM liquidates
Scripps-Booth in 1922.
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Died Eleanor (Sarver) Allen Jan 1920 buried in
Sarver Vault, North Cemetery, Butler, PA
1917 1921 Adam H. Sarver, President
Scripps-Booth Corp.
1920 Sarver family including servant living at
655 W. Chicago Blvd. Detroit, MI
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1924 after Scripps-Booth Corp. is dissolved Adam
H. Sarver becomes Director of Durant Motor Inc.
Detroit Flint Co.
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1930 Adam H. Sarver retires from Auto Industry.
Living with wife and servant at 655 W. Chicago
Blvd. Detroit, MI. Home value 50,000.
1935 Adam H. Sarver and wife move to 1995
Balmoral Dr. Palmer Woods Detroit MI
1936 Adam H. Sarver serves as V.P of Universal
Cooler Corp. which he organized in 1927.
Died Ottie Sarver November 26, 1937 buried in
Sarver Vault, North Cemetery, Butler, PA
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1941 Adam H. Sarver serves as president of the
Detroit Council of Churches
1950-51 Adam H. Sarver serves as president of
the Boys Clubs of Detroit.
1951 Adam H. Sarver receives the Boys Clubs of
America Silver Keystone Award.
1955 Boys Clubs of Detroit Quincy Ave. Building
renamed the Adam H. Sarver Club.
Married Margaret (Pillow) April 1957
Died Margaret Sarver November, 24 1959
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1964 Boys Clubs of Detroit Redford Club renamed
Adam H. Sarver Club.
Died Adam H. Sarver September 11, 1960 in Palm
Beach, Florida. Buried in Sarver Vault, North
Cemetery, Butler, PA ( 94 years old )
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• In addition to the BGCSM - Adam H. Sarver Club,
• Adam Hass Sarver is remembered as a noted
  philanthropist leaving a long
• charitable legacy including
• purchasing a Detroit hotel and operating it as a
  low-cost home for working women.
• Giving a 170,000 (1938) gift to Butler County
  Hospital to construct the Sarver Hall for nurses.
  
• Additionally giving the hospital 365 shares of GM
  stock worth 16, 998 (1957).
• Awarding large gifts to the YMCA YWCA.
• Serving as Vice President of Goodwill Industries
  of Detroit.
• Serving as trustee of the Dodge Community Home
  and the YWCA.
• Especially interested in church work, serving as
  the president of the board of trustees of the
  First Presbyterian Church of Detroit and donating
  50,000 to construct a Sunday school building for
  the church.
• And through his retirement to Palm Beach, FL he
  joined and served as the chairman of the Royal
  Poinciana Chapel assuming an important role
  seeing the historic Chapel through difficult
  times. A bronze plaque placed in the Royal
  Poinciana Chapel in his honor, reads
• Adam H. Sarver, Servant of God and man.

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Sources

• U.S Census (Ancestry. COM)
• Detroit Directories (Burton Historical
  Collection)
• Encyclopedia of Biography vol. xxxii page 419-421
  (Library of Michigan)
• Resources of the Michigan Archives
• Resources of the Automobile History Library at
  the Skillman Library, Detroit
• Old Car Factories - http//detroityes.com/index.ht
  ml
• History of Butler County Pennsylvania
  http//www.rootsweb.com/pabutler/1883/83-27.htm
• Origin Sarver Name http//www.jenforum.com/sarver/
  messages/772.html
• The Scripps-Booth Register http//home.earthlink.
  net/scrippsbooth/sb.html
• CHEVROLETS EARLY HISTORY http//clubs.hemmings.co
  m/clubsites/chevytalk/GMhistory/earlychevhistory.h
  tm