Homer A. Holt

Homer Adams Holt (born March 1, 1898 in Lewisburg , Greenbrier County , West Virginia , † January 16, 1975 in Charleston , West Virginia) was an American politician and from 1937 to 1941 the 20th governor of the state of West Virginia.

Early years and political advancement

Homer Holt attended Greenbrier Military School and Washington and Lee University . During the First World War he served as a lieutenant in the US Army. After the war, he taught at Washington and Lee University between 1923 and 1925. At the same time he opened a law firm in Fayetteville . Under Governor Herman G. Kump he was Attorney General of West Virginia. He supported Kump in working out a tax reform.

West Virginia Governor

In 1936, Holt himself was elected governor of his state as a candidate for the Democratic Party . He began his four-year term on January 18, 1937. During his tenure, the pardon law was modernized and the funding of public schools improved. Through his critical stance towards the labor movement and further demands for school reforms, Holt drew criticism from his own party, which was temporarily divided on these issues. In Fayette County , a scandal was uncovered, as many workers Dusts were exposed in a power plant in violation of all safety precautions. At least 476 people died of pneumonia from inhaling the dust. The exact number could be much higher because many of the workers affected moved away and were no longer recorded in the statistics. After all, after these events, black lung disease was classified as a dangerous disease and safety regulations were tightened.

Another résumé

After his tenure ended, Holt joined a large Charleston law firm. Between 1947 and 1953 he was a consultant and on the board of the Union Carbide and Carbon Corporation in New York City . In his retirement he still worked part-time as a lawyer. Homer Holt died in 1975. He was married to Isabel Hedges Wood, with whom he had three children.

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personal data
SURNAME	Holt, Homer A.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Holt, Homer Adams (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	March 1, 1898
PLACE OF BIRTH	Lewisburg , West Virginia
DATE OF DEATH	January 16, 1975
Place of death	Charleston , West Virginia