|
James W. Holley, III
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office July 1996 |
|
| Preceded by | Gloria Webb |
|
|
|
| Born | November 24, 1926 |
| Political party | Independent[1] |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Holley |
| Alma mater | West Virginia State College |
| Religion | Christian (Fellowship Christian Church)[2] |
Dr. James W. Holley, III, D.D.S. (born November 24, 1926)[3][4] is an American politician and retired dental surgeon, currently serving as mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia. Though blunt and often controversial,[5][6] he has remained popular with constituents.[7][8]
Contents |
Early life
After graduating from Portsmouth's I. C. Norcom High School in 1944, Holley served in the United States Army during World War II, stationed in Camp Livingston in Louisiana.[9] Following the war, he attended West Virginia State College (now West Virginia State University), and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in 1949. From there he went to Washington, D.C. where he attended dental school at the Howard University College of Dentistry, graduating in 1955.[10] He has also received an honorary law degree from West Virginia State.[11] He attended college on the G.I. Bill.[9] During a reception in the late 1950s, Holley met Virginia Union University student Mary Walker; the couple would marry in 1960.[9]
Holley joined the battle for civil rights in the 1950s and 60s,[12] and played an integral role in the desegregation of Portsmouth, winning court battles which allowed for the equal use of the city's libraries, hospitals, restaurants and golf courses.[10][11] During the course of his involvement in the civil rights movement, Holley entertained Martin Luther King, Jr. at his home on multiple occasions.[9]
Politics
Holley first served as a member of the Portsmouth City Council from 1968 to 1984, and was vice-mayor from 1978 to 1980. Upon his election in 1968, he became the first African American to serve on Portsmouth's City Council.[13] He has twice held the office of mayor, first from July 1, 1984, to December 15, 1987, and again from July 1996 to the present day.[14] Holley is also the first African American mayor in the city's history.[15] His first term came to an end when he was forced from office following an expense account scandal, becoming the first Virginia politician in modern times to be recalled.[16] Another factor in Holley's removal from office was his being linked to hate mail that was sent to community leaders.[17] In May 2008 Holley was re-elected, narrowly defeating challenger Martha Ann Creecy in the first contested mayoral election in Portsmouth since 1996.[18]
While an Independent, Holley has backed both Democrats and Republicans running for office, including Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential bid[19] and former Senator George Allen's 2006 re-election bid.[20] He also made a campaign contribution to Barack Obama.[21]
Holley has supported a smoking ban proposed by Tim Kaine.[22] He also serves as chairman of Hampton Roads Transit.[5]
Holley drew criticism in 2008 for suggesting that Portsmouth needed a "black" hotel to act as a counter-balance to the "white" Renaissance Hotel.[23] Holley was an early supporter of the Renaissance; his portrait hangs in the lobby, and the hotel's ballroom is named the "Holley Ballroom."[24] He later apologized for the remark, saying that his words were "misconstrued" and "misinterpreted."[25][26]
Fashion
Holley is known for his stylish dress.[6][27][28] He appeared in the September 2007 issue of Esquire along with Virginia Beach, Virginia mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf in a feature chronicling U.S. mayors.[29]
Notes
- ^ George Allen will be in Portsmouth today with Mayor Holley, 2006-10-06, http://www.zimbio.com/pilot?ID=&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fmosquito-blog.blogspot.com%2F2006%2F10%2Fgeorge-allen-will-be-in-portsmouth.html&ZURL=%2FMayor%2BJames%2BHolley%2Ftrackers%2F4%2FBlog%2BSearch%2BTracker, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ Official Biography, http://www.portsmouthva.gov/council/holley.htm, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ Jordan, Ida Kay (1996-12-08), AROUND TOWN - PORTSMOUTH.(PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS), The Virginian Pilot, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-73140303.html, retrieved 2008-12-26
- ^ Hoyer, Meghan (2008-04-13), Highlighting Portsmouth’s positives has worked for a leader who once was recalled, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/highlighting-portsmouth%E2%80%99s-positives-has-worked-leader-who-once-was-recalled, retrieved 2008-07-16
- ^ a b Messina, Debbie (2007-10-09), HRT president named chairman of national transit group, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/node/341721, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ a b Ayres Jr., B. Drummond (1987-12-13), Racial Split Feared in Bid to Remove Black Mayor in Virginia, The New York Times, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DE4D71731F930A25751C1A961948260, retrieved 2007-10-19
- ^ Wharton, Tony (1996-05-08), HOLLEY TOUCH MAY BE BACK WITH RETURN AS MAYOR, The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-68748820.html, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Whitt, Toni (1996-06-16), PORTSMOUTH COMMITTEE: FRIENDS, WORKING FOR CITY, The Virginian-Pilot, http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-73187157.html, retrieved 2007-10-19
- ^ a b c d Russell, Lia (2008-04-22), Portsmouth's First Citizen forged local civil rights, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/04/portsmouths-first-citizen-forged-local-civil-rights, retrieved 2008-07-16
- ^ a b Dr. James W. Holley, III-Mayor of Portsmouth, VA, Social Security Administration, http://www.ssa.gov/oig/investigations/PCIE-ECIE/about.htm, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ a b James W. Holley III 2004 Honoree, Dominion Power, http://www.dom.com/about/education/strong/2004/holley.jsp, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ Albertson, Robert Brooke (2002). Portsmouth. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 118. ISBN 0738514543.
- ^ CHRONOLOGY OF NORFOLK, Norfolk Public Library, http://www.npl.lib.va.us/faqs/chrono.html, retrieved 2007-10-19
- ^ Davidson, Chandler (1994). Quiet Revolution in the South: The Impact of the Voting Rights Act, 1965-1990. Princeton University Press. pp. 289. ISBN 0691021082.
- ^ Whitt, Toni, HOLLEY, CLEMONS TO LEAD PORTSMOUTH'S COUNCIL BI-RACIAL VOTE STOPS PRACTICE OF DIVIDING LEADERSHIP BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE., The Virginian-Pilot, http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1996/vp960702/07020238.htm, retrieved 2007-10-19
- ^ Batts, Battino, With Holley at the helm, Portsmouth prospers..., The Virginian-Pilot, http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1997/vp970727/07270047.htm, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ Officials Link a Virginia Mayor to Hate Mail, The New York Times, 1987-07-14, http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B0DEFDA1139F937A25754C0A961948260, retrieved 2007-10-19
- ^ McCaffery, Jen (2008-05-06), Portsmouth mayor James W. Holley wins re-election, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/node/463906, retrieved 2008-07-16
- ^ Clinton Campaign Announces Mayors Council, HillaryClinton.com, 2007-07-17, http://www.hillaryclinton.com/news/release/view/?id=2437, retrieved 2007-09-01
- ^ Gruss, Mike (2006-10-30), Pigskin in hand, Sen. Allen chats up voters, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/node/174631, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ FundRace 2008, The Huffington Post, http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/neighbors.php?type=name&lname=Holley&fname=James, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Sims, Shannon (2009-01-07), Gov. Kaine campaigns to stop smoking in restaurants, WVEC-TV, http://www.wvec.com/news/vabeach/stories/wvec_local_010708_kaine_no_smoking.1afd4f81.html, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ McCaffery, Jen (2008-07-25), Some angry at Portsmouth mayor over hotel comments, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/some-angry-portsmouth-mayor-over-hotel-comments, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Dougherty, Kerry (2008-07-27), Mayor Holley really ought to think before he doesn't speak up, The Virginian-Pilot, http://hamptonroads.com/2008/07/mayor-holley-really-ought-think-he-doesnt-speak, retrieved 2008-01-13
- ^ Fox, Andy (2008-07-31), EXCLUSIVE: Holley says statement was "misconstrued", WAVY, http://74.125.45.132/search?q=cache:KtPpRogCFOgJ:www.wavy.com/global/story.asp%3Fs%3D8769216%26ClientType%3DPrintable+%22James+Holley%22+%22black+hotel%22+apologizes&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9&gl=us, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Fox, Andy, EXCLUSIVE: Andy Fox One-on-One with Mayor James Holley, WAVY, http://www.truveo.com/EXCLUSIVE-Andy-Fox-OneonOne-with-Mayor-James/id/680997933, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Hoyer, Meghan (2007-08-14), Local mayor steps up to fashion plate in Esquire's photo feature, The Virginian-Pilot, http://web.archive.org/web/20070926233836/http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=130264&ran=31539, retrieved 2009-01-13
- ^ Portsmouth mayor among America's best dressed, WVEC-TV, 2007-08-13, http://www.wvec.com/news/portsmouth/stories/wvec_local_081307_best_dressed_mayor.2ffebbb6.html, retrieved 2007-08-26
- ^ McCammon, Ross (2007-01-16), Mayors' Convention, Esquire, http://www.esquire.com/style/style/hizzoner0907-6, retrieved 2007-08-30
External links
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
