In 1956, Chicago American praised Olis' leadership as the sanitary district reduced costs and local taxes while expanding service area and serving more people.
Olis campaigned for increased water diversion from Lake Michigan into the Illinois Waterway, though such legislation was twice vetoed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
[5] In 1956, Chicago American praised Olis for reducing costs and local taxes while expanding service area and serving more people.
[9] Olis campaigned for increased water diversion from Lake Michigan into the Illinois Waterway, though such legislation was twice vetoed by President Dwight D.
[2] Despite severe illness, Olis continued to work at the sanitary district until he entered the Albert Merritt Billings Hospital where he died a week later on June 3, 1958.
[2] In 1923, Birutė Choir and Olis performed operetta Bailus daktaras (Lithuanian translation and adaption of The Doctor of Alcantara by Julius Eichberg).
[12][14] In 1954, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Vanagaitis' public work, they organized a particularly large concert at the Civic Opera Building.
It included performances by opera singer Polyna Stoska and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra directed by Vytautas Marijošius [lt].
[13] In 1935, Olis worked to erect a monument to Lithuanian-American aviators Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas in Marquette Park.
[13] In 1949–1950, Olis organized exhibitions of works by Lithuanian artists in New York, Waterbury, Boston, Detroit, and Chicago.
[15] Politically, Olis was a member of the nationalist (tautininkai) camp – the middle road between conservative Catholics and liberal socialists.
The nationalists gathered around Lithuanian periodicals Margutis (published by Antanas Vanagaitis [lt]), Dirva, Sandara.
[2] Olis organized two large gatherings in Washington DC on March 21–24, 1945 and November 16–17, 1945, that were attended by hundreds of politicians.
He was chairman of the Association to Liberate Lithuania (Lietuvai vaduoti sąjunga) founded in 1941 (it later morphed into the American Lithuanian Mission).
[17] In 1949, three nationalists organizations (including the American Lithuanian Mission) united into the Lithuanian-American National Union (Amerikos lietuvių tautinė sąjunga) which was chaired by Olis until 1951.