Roll of Honor
Oliver Holmes Cornelius
Incident
Investigator Oliver Cornelius suffered a fatal heart attack while raiding a still approximately six miles south of Featherston, Oklahoma. He and another investigator had arrested a suspect and were using an axe to destroy a 40-gallon still when he suddenly collapsed. On January 20, 1921, his brother, SpecialOfficer Frank Cornelius, was shot and killed in the line of duty. Investigator Cornelius was a United States Army WWI and WWII veteran and a U.S. Army Reserve veteran. He had served with the Alcohol Tax Unit for 18 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, brother, and two sisters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FED-9B958971- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Investigator Cornelius gave the United States Department of the Treasury 18 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Oliver Holmes Cornelius served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Investigator Oliver Holmes Cornelius is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In DC, 71 of 1,419 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit, 7 of 30 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 23.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Oliver Holmes Cornelius's cause is highlighted.
How Oliver Holmes Cornelius Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Oliver Holmes Cornelius is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
29 officers from United States Department of the Treasury - Internal Revenue Service - Alcohol Tax Unit are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
