Elmer Holt

William Elmer Holt (born October 14, 1884 in Savannah , Andrew County , Missouri , † March 1, 1945 in Helena , Montana ) was an American politician and from 1935 to 1937 the tenth governor of the state of Montana.

Early years

In 1886 Elmer Holt moved with his family to Montana, where they settled on a ranch near Miles City . The young Holt attended the local schools there. Then he studied at the University of Nebraska until 1902 . Then he worked in the real estate business.

Political career

In 1912, Holt was elected to the Montana House of Representatives for one term . Only 20 years later did he return to politics when he was elected to the State Senate . He stayed there from 1933 to 1935 and eventually became president of this chamber. In December 1935, this position gave him the post of governor. The background to this was the resignation of Governor John Edward Erickson , who was re-elected in 1932, in March 1933. At this point, Vice Governor Frank Henry Cooney took over his office. When he died on December 15, 1935, according to the constitution, the Senate President had to end the remaining term of office of the governor. Holt's tenure lasted just under 13 months and ended on January 4, 1937. In 1936, he unsuccessfully applied for his own candidacy for this office. During his time, the state gradually recovered from the Great Depression . Apart from a few changes in the legislation regarding alcohol consumption, Holt was unable to set any political accents during his tenure as governor.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Holt withdrew from politics. He moved to Seattle , where he temporarily worked for a railroad company. Elmer Holt died on March 1, 1945. He was married to Lora Howe, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• Elmer Holt in the National Governors Association (English)
• Of Governors of Montana short biographies (English)