Jerome Heartwell "Brud" Holland (January 9, 1916 – January 13, 1985) was an American university president and diplomat. He was the first
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
to play
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
at
Cornell University
Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...
, and was chosen as an
All American in 1937 and 1938. He was also the first African American to chair the
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...
Board of Governors, which named its Laboratory for the Biomedical Sciences in his honor. He was the first African-American to sit on the board of the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...
(1972), and the first appointed to
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...
's governing body, "
The Corporation".
Early life and education
Holland was born January 9, 1916, in Auburn, New York, the fourth child of Robert Jr. and Viola Holland.
Holland attended Auburn High School from 1930 to 1934, where he played football and basketball, lettering in both sports.
After beginning his college studies at the New York College of Agriculture in 1935, he soon thereafter enrolled in undergraduate studies at Cornell University. He studied sociology, receiving his Bachelor of Science in 1939 and Master's degree in 1941.
Holland became the first African American to play on Cornell's football team. He was selected All-American in 1937 and 1938.
His Cornell football exploits later led to his induction in the
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
in 1965.
Delaware State College presidency
In early 1953, Holland met newly elected Delaware Gov.
J. Caleb Boggs
James Caleb Boggs (May 15, 1909 – March 26, 1993) was an American lawyer and politician from Claymont in New Castle County, Delaware. A member of the Republican Party, he was commonly known by his middle name, Caleb, frequently shortened ...
. After a couple of meetings between the two, Gov. Boggs convinced the Board of Trustees of
Delaware State College
Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four col ...
to fill schools leadership vacancy by appointing Holland to be the sixth president in the then-62-year history of the institution.
In assuming the presidency of the DSC on July 1, 1953, Holland took over the leadership of a school that was at the lowest point in its history. The historically black college had lost its accreditation as a four-year institution of higher education in 1949. In the subsequent years, some state officials were calling for the closure of DSC, while other advocated that it be converted to a junior college for Blacks.
Under President Holland's leadership, significant improvements were made to the operation of the DSC Business Office. Dr. Holland then persuaded the
Delaware General Assembly
The Delaware General Assembly is the legislature of the U.S. state of Delaware. It is a bicameral legislature composed of the Delaware Senate with 21 senators and the Delaware House of Representatives with 41 representatives. It meets at Legisla ...
(DSC) to appropriate $2.45 million to the college, which resulted in the construction of five new buildings, some faculty housing units, as well as other building additions and renovations. He oversaw the reorganization of the school's administrative structure and athletics programs, and the streamlining of its academic departments. The college's first-ever general education program was established during his tenure, and there was a significant increase volume of books and the usage of the campus library.
President Holland persuaded the Delaware General Assembly to pass legislation that increased the DSC Board of Trustees from six to 11 members, with five members appointed by the board. It was also during his tenure that the DSU integrated for the first time by the hiring of its first white faculty members and the enrollment of its first white students.
Most importantly, the predominant achievement of President Holland's seven-year tenure was 1957 reaccreditation of Delaware State College by the
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (Middle States Association or MSA) was a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association that performed peer evaluation and regional educational accreditation, accreditation of public and priva ...
(the accrediting body for the Mid-Atlantic region).
Dr. Holland is also credited with greatly strengthening what previously had been a dormant relationship between the college and its alumni through the establishment of a Office of Alumni Affairs. Under Dr. Holland's leadership, the college also began attracting new philanthropic funding support.
In March 1960, Dr. Holland announced his resignation from Delaware State College to accept a new appointment—the presidency of then-Hampton Institute (now University).
![Dr Jerome H Holland statue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Dr_Jerome_H_Holland_statue.jpg)
In 2018, Delaware State University erected and dedicated the Dr. Jerome H. Holland Memorial Statue on the front of the campus near the main entrance. The statue was created by Brad Vanneman, a sculptor artist from Wilmington, Del.
Hampton Institute presidency
Dr. Holland succeeded Alonzo G. Moron as the ninth president of
Hampton Institute
Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association aft ...
, in a tenure that lasted from 1960 to 1970.
During his 10-year presidency, Hampton Institute experience a new period of growth. That included the construction of 12 new buildings at the cost of approximately $19 million. Alumni contributions increased by 643 percent; the annual budget of the school increased by 300 percent; the faculty increased in number by 66 percent and the average faculty salary doubled.
Post academia years and death
Soon after Holland's retirement as president of Hampton Institute, he served as ambassador to Sweden for two years between 1970 and 1972.
His appointment was protested by the Swedish people, and the demonstrations contained
racist attacks for which the
Swedish government
The Government of the Kingdom of Sweden ( sv, Konungariket Sveriges regering) is the national cabinet of Sweden, and the country's executive authority.
The Government consists of the Prime Ministerappointed and dismissed by the Speaker of the R ...
issued an official apology.
[ Holland was the first African American to sit on the board of the New York Stock Exchange, and served on the boards of AT&T, General Foods, the Culbro Corporation, Federated Department Stores, Manufacturers Hanover Trust, Pan American Bankshares, the Union Carbide Corporation, Zurn Industries, and Continental Corporation.]
In 1979, as the result of his appointment President Jimmy Carter
James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...
, Holland became the first African American to serve as the chairman of the Red Cross Board of Governors, a position he held until his death. The Red Cross renamed its research and development laboratory in Holland's honor in 1987.
Holland died in New York City on January 13, 1985. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
in April 1985.
Family
Holland was one of 13 children. His son, Joe Holland, one of ten children, also played for Cornell. He was selected as a third team All-American running back by the Associated Press
The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. newspa ...
for the 1978 College Football All-America Team, and as a graduate student with a 3.70 GPA, the same year, as an Academic All American. In 1991, he became a member of the Academic Hall of Fame. An attorney, playwright and entrepreneur, Joe Holland is a Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, as was his father. He filed as a candidate for Governor of New York
The governor of New York is the head of government of the U.S. state of New York. The governor is the head of the executive branch of New York's state government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has ...
in the 2018 election.
References
Sources
''Remarks at the Presentation Ceremony for the Presidential Medal of Freedom''
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Holland, Jerome H.
1916 births
1985 deaths
All-American college football players
American football ends
Ambassadors of the United States to Sweden
African-American diplomats
African-American players of American football
Presidents of Hampton University
American Red Cross personnel
Cornell Big Red football players
College Football Hall of Fame inductees
Delaware State University people
Sportspeople from Auburn, New York
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
20th-century African-American sportspeople
20th-century American academics