Abner Linwood Holton Jr. (September 21, 1923October 28, 2021) was an American politician and attorney. He served as the 61st governor of Virginia, from 1970 to 1974, and was the first elected Republican governor of Virginia of the 20th century. He was known for supporting

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...

, and

public investment Government spending or expenditure includes all government consumption, investment, and transfer payments. In national income accounting, the acquisition by governments of goods and services for current use, to directly satisfy the individual o ...

.Schapiro, Jeff E. (Oct 29, 2021)
"Linwood Holton, Virginia's first GOP governor of the 20th century, who embraced civil rights, dies at 98."
''Richmond Time-Dispatch'', pp. A1, A6. Retrieved November 2, 2021.

Early life

Abner Linwood Holton Jr. was born on September 21, 1923, in Big Stone Gap, Virginia, the son of Edith (Van Gorder), a homemaker, and Abner Linwood Holton, the executive of a small coal-hauling railroad. In his 2008 memoir, he wrote that could not remember a time as a youth when the goal of a Virginia governorship was not at the back of his mind.Holton Jr., A. Linwood (2008). ''Opportunity Time: A Memoir'', p. 6. University of Virginia Press. At his Stone Gap High School reunion in 1990, a childhood friend joked that he had sought the governorship since the 4th grade. Holton entered

Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

, in 1941. After the Japanese

Attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, j ...

, he enlisted in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

on July 4, 1942. He received a commission after graduating in 1944 with

B.S. A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

degree in commerce,

cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

, and served on active duty submarine service throughout

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

and in the reserves for more than two decades afterwards. He graduated from

Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...

in 1949. Prior to entering politics, he was an attorney in Roanoke, Virginia.

Political career

Holton was active in the Republican Party when it barely existed in Virginia. He was one of the leading Republicans who fought the

Byrd Organization The Byrd machine, or Byrd organization, was a political machine of the Democratic Party led by former Governor and U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd (1887–1966) that dominated Virginia politics for much of the 20th century. From the 1890s until the l ...

during the three decades it dominated Virginia politics. In 1965, Holton ran for governor as the Republican candidate and was defeated by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Mills E. Godwin Jr. In 1969, Holton won 52.51% of the vote in the gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat

William C. Battle William Cullen Battle (October 9, 1920 – May 31, 2008) was an American diplomat, lawyer, businessman, United States Ambassador to Australia, and president of the United States Golf Association. Early life and education Battle was born in Char ...

, Virginia Conservative Beverly B. McDowell, American Independent William A. Pennington, and Independent George R. Walker. He became the first Republican governor of Virginia since 1869. Linwood Holton (1971 Bugle)

In 1970, when desegregation was an issue in Virginia, Holton voluntarily placed his children, including future First Lady Anne Holton, in the mostly-black

Richmond Public Schools Richmond Public Schools is a public school district located in the independent city of Richmond, Virginia. It is occasionally described locally as Richmond City Public Schools to emphasize its connection to the independent city rather than the ...

, garnering much publicity. As governor, he increased employment of blacks and women in state government, created the Virginia Governor's Schools Program in 1973, provided the first state funds for community mental health centers, and supported environmental efforts. A moderate Republican, Holton was against welcoming conservative Byrd Democrats into the

Virginia Republican Party The Republican Party of Virginia (RPV) is the Virginia chapter of the Republican Party. It is based at the Richard D. Obenshain Center in Richmond. History The party was established in 1854 by opponents of slavery and secession in the commonwea ...

. As the GOP moved increasingly rightward, it turned its back on Holton. When

Harry F. Byrd Jr. Harry Flood Byrd Jr. (December 20, 1914 – July 30, 2013) was an American orchardist, newspaper publisher and politician. He served in the Senate of Virginia and then represented Virginia in the United States Senate, succeeding his father, Harry ...

broke ranks with the increasingly liberal national Democrats and ran as an independent for the Senate in 1970, Holton insisted on running a Republican candidate rather than endorsing an independent. That eventually led to the nomination of

Ray Garland Ray Lucian Garland (born May 20, 1934) is an American businessman and Republican politician who served in both houses of the Virginia General Assembly representing Roanoke, and who later wrote a syndicated newspaper column. Early and family li ...

. Byrd went on to win the three-way election with an absolute majority. Holton also encouraged a moderate Republican to run in the special election in 1971 to choose a successor for deceased Lieutenant Governor

J. Sargeant Reynolds Julian Sargeant "Sarge" Reynolds (June 30, 1936 – June 13, 1971) of Richmond, Virginia was an American teacher, businessman, and Democratic politician. He served in both the House and Senate of the Virginia General Assembly and served as 3 ...

, an election that was won by another independent, populist Henry Howell. Holton was not eligible to run in 1973, as Virginia does not allow governors to serve consecutive terms. In 1973, Mills Godwin, the conservative former Democrat who had defeated Holton in the 1965 election, was the Republican nominee. Godwin had supported

massive resistance Massive resistance was a strategy declared by U.S. Senator Harry F. Byrd Sr. of Virginia and his brother-in-law James M. Thomson, who represented Alexandria in the Virginia General Assembly, to get the state's white politicians to pass laws and p ...

racial integration Racial integration, or simply integration, includes desegregation (the process of ending systematic racial segregation). In addition to desegregation, integration includes goals such as leveling barriers to association, creating equal opportunity ...

and had first identified himself as a Republican in his speech accepting the Virginia Republican convention's nomination for governor.

Later life

Following his term as governor, Holton served one year in the Nixon Administration as the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations. After leaving Washington, he practiced law as a shareholder at McCandlish Holton, P.C. Holton later unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the

United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...

in 1978, finishing third in a race against

Richard D. Obenshain Richard Dudley Obenshain (October 31, 1935 – August 2, 1978) was an American politician and attorney. Obenshain had served as the chairman of the Republican Party of Virginia, and was nominated in 1978 to run as the Republican nominee for the U ...

John Warner John William Warner III (February 18, 1927 – May 25, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974 and as a five-term Republican U.S. Senator from Virginia from 1979 to 200 ...

, and Nathan H. Miller. Warner subsequently became the nominee after Obenshain's death in a plane crash. Under Gov. Gerald Baliles (1987–91), he served as interim president of the

Center for Innovative Technology Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

in Northern Virginia, where he guided it through managerial difficulties. After his retirement, Holton supported moderate Republicans, including

. As the

became more conservative, however, he found himself more in line with the state Democratic Party and endorsed several Democrats for statewide office, including his son-in-law, Governor

Tim Kaine Timothy Michael Kaine (; born February 26, 1958) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Virginia since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 38th lieutenant governor of Virgini ...

. Holton endorsed

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

in the 2008 presidential election. The Holtons have four children: Tayloe, Anne, Woody, and Dwight. Anne is married to U.S. Senator and former Virginia Governor

, the nominee of the Democratic Party for Vice President of the United States in 2016. She was the first First Lady of Virginia to live in Virginia's

Executive Mansion Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

both as a child and as a First Lady. In January 2014, Anne Holton was named Virginia Secretary of Education.

Woody Holton Abner Linwood Holton III, known as Woody Holton, is an American professor who is the McCausland Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. Early life Abner Linwood Holton III is the son of former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton. ...

(Abner Linwood Holton III) has published three books, including ''Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution'' (2007), a finalist for the

National Book Award The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. The Nat ...

, and ''Forced Founders: Indians, Debtors, Slaves and the Making of the American Revolution in Virginia'' (1999). His third book, a biography of

Abigail Adams Abigail Adams ( ''née'' Smith; November 22, [ O.S. November 11] 1744 – October 28, 1818) was the wife and closest advisor of John Adams, as well as the mother of John Quincy Adams. She was a founder of the United States, an ...

, won the Bancroft Prize in 2010.

Dwight Holton Dwight Carter Holton (born December 18, 1965) is an American attorney and politician from Oregon. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, he was approximately four years old when his father, Linwood Holton, was elected governor, becoming the first Republican ...

served as acting

U.S. Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal c ...

for Oregon from 2010 to 2011. He later lost to

Ellen Rosenblum Ellen F. Rosenblum (born January 6, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the Oregon Attorney General since 2012. She is the first female state attorney general in Oregon's history, and previously was a judge on the Oregon ...

in the May 2012 primary in the race for

Oregon Attorney General The Oregon Attorney General is a statutory office within the executive branch of the state of Oregon, and serves as the chief legal officer of the state, heading its Department of Justice with its six operating divisions. The attorney general is ch ...

. In 1999, Linwood Holton Elementary School, in

Richmond, Virginia (Thus do we reach the stars) , image_map = , mapsize = 250 px , map_caption = Location within Virginia , pushpin_map = Virginia#USA , pushpin_label = Richmond , pushpin_m ...

, was named in his honor. In November 2005, Holton underwent surgery for

bladder cancer Bladder cancer is any of several types of cancer arising from the tissues of the urinary bladder. Symptoms include blood in the urine, pain with urination, and low back pain. It is caused when epithelial cells that line the bladder become mali ...

. The University of Virginia Press published his memoir, ''Opportunity Time'', in March 2008. He was a long-time member of the Governing Council of the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

's Miller Center of Public Affairs. In 2017, the City of Roanoke hosted Holton for the dedication of a plaza named in his honor. On the day of Ralph Northam's inauguration in January 2018, Holton sat front and center for a photograph with Northam nine other former governors that followed him, including

Bob McDonnell Robert Francis McDonnell (born June 15, 1954) is an American attorney, businessman, politician, and former military officer who served as the 71st governor of Virginia from 2010 to 2014. His career ended after his corruption scandal and convic ...

Jim Gilmore James Stuart Gilmore III (born October 6, 1949) is an American politician, diplomat, statesman, and former attorney who was the 68th Governor of Virginia from 1998 to 2002 and Chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2001. A native Vir ...

, Terry McAuliffe, George Allen,

Mark Warner Mark Robert Warner (born December 15, 1954) is an American businessman and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Virginia, a seat he has held since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Warner served as the 69th governo ...

L. Douglas Wilder Lawrence Douglas Wilder (born January 17, 1931) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 66th Governor of Virginia from 1990 to 1994. He was the first African American to serve as governor of a U.S. state since the Reconstruction ...

Chuck Robb Charles Spittal Robb (born June 26, 1939) is an American politician from Virginia and former officer in the United States Marine Corps. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the List of governors of Vir ...

, and Gerald Baliles.Cain, Andrew (December 19, 2021).
"'History had its eyes on' Gov. Linwood Holton, journalist Ann Compton says in memorial tribute,"
''Richmond Times-Dispatch''. pp. A1-A2.

Personal life

Holton married Virginia "Jinks" Rogers on January 10, 1953. She was a

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian intelligence agency, foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gat ...

intelligence analyst and the daughter of a leading Roanoke Democratic Party figure. Together, they had four children, Anne, Tayloe, Woody, and Dwight. Anne is married to

, who served as governor of Virginia from 2006 through 2010, and has served as a United States Senator from Virginia since 2013. Kaine was the

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

Democratic vice presidential nominee.

Death, memorial, and legacy

Linwood Holton died of

natural causes In many legal jurisdictions, the manner of death is a determination, typically made by the coroner, medical examiner, police, or similar officials, and recorded as a vital statistic. Within the United States and the United Kingdom, a distinct ...

at his home in

Kilmarnock Kilmarnock (, sco, Kilmaurnock; gd, Cill Mheàrnaig (IPA: ʰʲɪʎˈveaːɾnəkʲ, "Marnock's church") is a large town and former burgh in East Ayrshire, Scotland and is the administrative centre of East Ayrshire, East Ayrshire Council. ...

on October 28, 2021, at age 98. The memorial service for Holton in December 2021 at Second Presbyterian Church in Richmond included tributes to his belief in

and

school desegregation School integration in the United States is the process (also known as desegregation) of ending race-based segregation within American public and private schools. Racial segregation in schools existed throughout most of American history and rema ...

. In attendance were Gov. Ralph Northam, the other eight governors of the state, and Gov.-elect

Glenn Youngkin Glenn Allen Youngkin (born December 9, 1966) is an American businessman and politician, currently serving as the 74th governor of Virginia since January 15, 2022. A member of the Republican Party, Youngkin defeated former Democratic governor T ...

Ann Compton Ann Compton (born January 19, 1947) is an American former news reporter and White House correspondent for ABC News Radio. Career highlights Ann Compton graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, in 1965. She began her broadcasti ...

noted that when Holton took office, there were only 31 Republicans among the 141 members of the state legislature. Holton's tenure as governor ushered in a new era, bringing to seven Republican governors elected compared to seven Democratic governors.

Notes

References

External links

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park page on Holton

Governor Linwood Holton Jr. Song and History Slideshow - Virginia Studies Song.
RapOperaCentral , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Holton, Linwood 1923 births 2021 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American politicians Ford administration personnel Republican Party governors of Virginia Harvard Law School alumni Military personnel from Virginia Miller Center Affiliates Nixon administration personnel People from Big Stone Gap, Virginia People from Kilmarnock, Virginia Politicians from Roanoke, Virginia United States Assistant Secretaries of State Virginia lawyers Washington and Lee University alumni Tim Kaine United States Navy personnel of World War II United States Navy personnel of the Korean War United States Navy captains United States Navy reservists Activists for African-American civil rights