[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 145 (Tuesday, October 13, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2124-E2125]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HAROLD HOLT: A LIFETIME OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO HIS 
                               COMMUNITY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN S. TANNER

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 13, 1998

  Mr. TANNER. Mr. Speaker, for 50 years Harold Holt has been active in 
public service. For many more years than that, Harold Holt has 
positively contributed to the quality of life of his fellow citizens, 
not only in Dyersburg and Dyer County, but throughout West Tennessee.
  Today, I want to salute a good friend and former colleague, who I 
served together with in the Tennessee General Assembly. An aggressive 
leader for his community, Harold Holt never lost a race for public 
office and built a respected career in banking.
  His solution-oriented, consensus building style helped pave the way 
for the widening of U.S. 412, now a four-lane highway connecting 
Dyersburg and Jackson. He was known for his strong support for the best 
education possible for Tennessee's children and effective law 
enforcement in our communities.
  He is rightfully proud, as we all are, of his wife, Bonnie, and their 
two sons, Jeff and Steve.
  Printed below is a copy of a story published in the Dyersburg State 
Gazette titled ``A Lifetime of Concern for Others.''

                    A Lifetime of Concern for Others

       When Harold Holt was growing up on a farm near Finley 
     during the Depression, he saw neighbors pitching in to help 
     those facing hardships such as serious illness of the family 
     bread-winner.
       He never has forgotten the spirit of cooperation and 
     helpfulness.
       ``Each neighbor took care of their neighbor,'' he said. 
     ``If a family couldn't get a crop in, other neighbors would 
     pitch in and put in the crop for them.''
       ``Everybody in the community was close; even though they 
     weren't related, they were very close.''
       That closeness and concern for others has made Holt perhaps 
     the premier politician in Dyer County. He has served as 
     county trustee, county commissioner and state representative 
     and has never lost a political race. His son, Jeff, has 
     followed in his public service footsteps and now is serving 
     his second term as Dyer County sheriff.
       ``I've been involved in the political process since 1948,'' 
     Holt said. ``That was my first presidential election, and I 
     voted for Harry Truman.''
       Former Dyer County Executive P.H. White said Holt is a 
     person who can be trusted.
       ``Harold is a very trustworthy person in both word and 
     deed,'' White said. ``He's always done what he thought was 
     right, and he's very dedicated and devoted to his family.''
       Longtime friend Dr. Douglas Haynes said he admires Holt's 
     integrity--and memory.
       ``He's a person of absolute integrity, and he has the most 
     fantastic memory,'' Haynes said. ``He knows a story about 
     just about everyone in the county.''
       Doug Williamson, another long-time friend, said Holt has 
     gained respect through his honesty.
       ``He's a real forthright, honest person,'' Williamson said. 
     He's just a fine man, and many people respect him for his 
     honesty.''
       Holt said he has never been tempted to seek political 
     office on a larger stage than representing the local 
     population.
       ``Dyer County is one of the greatest communities anybody 
     could ever have the privilege of living in,'' he said. ``The 
     people here have been so kind to me and to my family.''
       He said he has been approached several times to run for 
     Congress but never really considered it.
       ``I was approached a few times, but I never gave it much 
     thought because I would have had to run against Ed Jones,'' 
     Holt said. ``I always supported Ed Jones, and he's a good 
     friend to this day.''
       Holt's devotion to his friends and his integrity are 
     remarkable, said Jere Bradshaw.
       ``Harold Holt is a true gentleman,'' Bradshaw said. ``In my 
     opinion, he's absolutely honest, above board and considerate 
     of other people. I've always been able to rely completely on 
     what he says.
       ``I've supported him in what he does because it's always 
     for the good of the community.''
       Holt said Bradshaw's race for county clerk was the first 
     local political race he ever got involved in.
       ``I probably worked harder for Jere Bradshaw's election 
     than I ever worked for any of my own,'' he said.
       Holt served in the Tennessee General Assembly, representing 
     Crockett and Dyer counties, from 1986-91, when he decided to 
     retire from active involvement in politics.
       In the legislature, he was known as hard-working and fair.
       Though it is little known in Dyer County, Holt was one of 
     the legislature's most accomplished pranksters.
       ``Harold was a good representative,'' said state Rep. Frank 
     Buck (D-Dowelltown), one of Holt's closest friends. ``He took 
     his job very seriously, and he did a good job for Dyer 
     County.''
       Holt often played his pranks in cahoots with Buck and 
     former state Rep. Floyd Crain (D-Ripley).
       ``When the scandal about funeral directors was exposed 
     several years ago--about one or two mistreating corpses and 
     burying trash and that sort of thing--we sent a letter 
     purporting to be from a woman who (state Rep.) Robb Robinson 
     (D-Nashville) had mistreated at his funeral home,'' Buck 
     recalled. ``Robinson took it seriously and, though he didn't 
     remember the case we made up, contacted the state funeral 
     directors board to ask if anyone had filed a complaint 
     against him.
       ``When Robinson found out it was a joke, he got pretty 
     testy with Crain and me, but Harold wasn't there.

[[Page E2125]]

       ``When he saw Harold, he looked at him and said, `I'm 
     disappointed in you, because I knew those other two were 
     common, but I expected more of you.' ''
       ``Holt's a good guy, but he's sneaky,'' Crain said.
       Josephine Binkley, who was Holt's secretary when he first 
     went to the General Assembly, said she can still get Holt 
     riled up by saying she is going to tell Buck something about 
     him.
       ``If I want Harold ribbed about something, I know Frank 
     Buck is the one to do it,'' she said. ``If I just mention 
     telling something on Harold to Buck, Harold will say, `Now, 
     that's not necessary.' ''
       Binkley said Holt is fun but has another side, too.
       ``Harold is a fun person to be around,'' she said. ``But he 
     can be tough if that's necessary.''
       Buck said the pressure-packed life of a legislator needs to 
     be leavened with humor.
       ``In the General Assembly, if you can't maintain a sense of 
     humor, especially about yourself, you'll go crazy,'' he said. 
     ``Harold was always able to maintain a sense of humor.''
       Since retiring from the legislature, Holt has worked 
     briefly as a lobbyist.
       ``I worked for Kemmons Wilson for about six weeks when we 
     were trying to enhance and extend the logo sign bill to 
     permit them on state highways and not just interstates,'' he 
     said. ``I still go to Nashville pretty often to visit my 
     friends who still are in the legislature.''
       He also served a term on the state's judicial council, 
     which looks at proposed legislation about the judicial system 
     and makes recommendations. He was appointed to the council by 
     former Gov. Ned McWherter.
       Asked if he has any regrets about his years in the 
     legislature, Holt thought a short while.
       ``I think the drainage situation at the Tigrett Wildlife 
     Management Area could have been handled better,'' he said. 
     ``We didn't fight hard enough to get legislation that would 
     have given us the type of relief on Stokes Creek that I think 
     is necessary. It needs to be restored to the original 
     course so water can rise and recede naturally.''
       Holt says he remembers the area from his childhood.
       ``When I was a kid there was bottomland hardwood timber 
     there,'' he said. ``But now it's a stagnant swamp.
       ``If we let it return to its natural course we can restore 
     at least part of that area to what it was when I was a kid.''
                                  ____


                               Lifelines


                           Family background

       Harold Henry Holt was born Oct. 1, 1926, at Richwood in 
     western Dyer County. His parents were Buford and Stella 
     Yarbro Holt. His mother died of complications of childbirth, 
     and his father moved away soon after to seek work during the 
     Depression. Holt was raised by his grandparents. Richard and 
     Lora Holt. ``They were 50-years-old when I was born, so they 
     raised me more as their child than their grandchild,'' he 
     said.
       He never lived with his father, who remarried and fathered 
     two more sons. Holt's half brother, Richard Holt, died in 
     1984. Another half brother, Ralph Holt, lives in Mayfield, 
     Ky.


                             Family matters

       Holt met Bonnie Bivens at a ball game, and the two married 
     on Oct. 2, 1949. They have two sons, Jeff Holt, the current 
     sheriff of Dyer County, and Steve Holt, supervisor of 
     children's services in Tipton, Lauderdale and Fayette 
     counties for the Tennessee Department of Human Services. They 
     have two grandchildren, Steven, a sophomore at the University 
     of Memphis and Katherine, a senior at Covington High School.


                               Education

       Holt attended Richwood School and Dyersburg High School, 
     graduating in 1945. He has taken courses at Dyersburg State 
     Community College and the Southeastern School of Banking at 
     Louisiana State University.


                               Employment

       Right out of high school, Holt worked at Rhea Wholesale in 
     Dyersburg for about 18 months. Then he worked at a hardware 
     store for a year before becoming a deputy trustee. He held 
     that job for six years until the trustee retired and he was 
     elected county trustee in 1954. He served until November 
     1969, when he took a job with First Bank and Trust Co. as 
     public relations director. First Bank and Trust was acquired 
     by First Tennessee Bank in 1971, and Holt remained with the 
     bank in public relations until 1992. ``In a small bank, you 
     do a lot of things.'' Holt said. ``I was also a loan officer 
     and other things. I never was janitor, but I was custodian.''


                                Hobbies

       Holt loves to fish and has a cabin on Kentucky Lake for 
     about 20 years. He once was an avid hunter but has given up 
     hunting. ``My grandfather taught me to play checkers,'' he 
     said. ``I still like to play checkers and dominoes at the 
     (Dyer County) Office On Aging.''


                               Activities

       Holt was elected to the county commission in 1970 and 
     served until he failed to seek re-election in 1978. He was 
     elected to the Tennessee House of Representatives in 1986 and 
     served until he retired in 1992. He served a term on the 
     Tennessee Judicial Council, which considers proposed 
     legislation relating to the state's judicial system and makes 
     recommendations. During this service in the legislature, he 
     received awards from the State Election Commission, the 
     Dyersburg/Dyer County Chamber of Commerce and the Dyer County 
     Office On Aging for his legislative leadership. He served on 
     the House Commerce, Transportation, State and Local 
     Government and Calendar committees and was secretary of the 
     State and Local Government Committee.


                                 Quote

       ``My grandmother used to tell me, `If you always tell the 
     truth, you don't have to worry about keeping up with the 
     tales you've told.' That's pretty good advice.''

     

                          ____________________