- James W. Holley, III
-
James W. Holley, III 
Mayor of Portsmouth, VA In office
July 1984 – December 1987In office
July 1996 – July 2010Personal details Born November 24, 1926 Political party Independent[1] Spouse(s) Mary Holley Alma mater West Virginia State College Religion Christian (Fellowship Christian Church)[2] James W. Holley, III (born November 24, 1926)[3][4] is an American politician and retired dental surgeon. Holley served two terms as mayor of Portsmouth, Virginia. Both terms ended with his being recalled from office, making him the only known politician in American history to be twice recalled.[5]
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.[6] 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.[7] He has also received an honorary law degree from West Virginia State.[8] He attended college on the G.I. Bill.[6] During a reception in the late 1950s, Holley met Virginia Union University student Mary Walker; the couple would marry in 1960.[6]
Holley joined the battle for civil rights in the 1950s and '60s,[9] 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.[7][8] During the course of his involvement in the civil rights movement, Holley entertained Martin Luther King, Jr. at his home on multiple occasions.[6]
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.[10] He has twice held the office of mayor, first from July 1, 1984, to December 15, 1987, and again from July 1996 to July 13, 2010.[11] Holley was also the first African American mayor in the city's history.[12] 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.[13] Another factor in Holley's removal from office was his being linked to hate mail that was sent to community leaders.[14]
In May 2008 Holley was re-elected as mayor, narrowly defeating challenger Martha Ann Creecy in the first contested mayoral election in Portsmouth since 1996.[15] He was recalled for a second time on July 13, 2010.[5] The effort to recall Holley began in 2009 after an assistant made a confidential complaint of verbal abuse and of being required by Holley to perform his personal errands while working on city time. The complaint was subsequently leaked to the press. The accusations prompted the Portsmouth City Council to fine Holley $2,500 and ask him to retire, citing a pattern of mistreating subordinates.[5] After Holley refused to retire, his opponents mounted a recall petition citing the allegations against him and alleging his inability competently lead the city. The petition gathered 8000 signatures, which a judge deemed sufficient to force the ballot question of Holley's recall on July 13, 2010.[16]
Though an Independent, Holley has backed both Democrats and Republicans running for office, including Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential bid[17] and former Senator George Allen's 2006 re-election bid.[18] He also made a campaign contribution to Barack Obama.[19]
Holley drew criticism in 2008 for suggesting that Portsmouth needed a "black" hotel to act as a counter-balance to the "white" Renaissance Hotel.[20] Holley was an early supporter of the Renaissance; his portrait hangs in the lobby, and the hotel's ballroom is named the "Holley Ballroom."[21] He later apologized for the remark, saying that his words were "misconstrued" and "misinterpreted."[22][23]
Fashion
Holley is known for his stylish dress.[24][25] He appeared in the September 2007 issue of Esquire along with former Virginia Beach mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf in a feature chronicling U.S. mayors.[26]
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[dead link]
- ^ 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 c Forster, Dave; Shayna Meliker. "Voters recall Portsmouth Mayor James Holley". The Virginian-Pilot. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/07/voters-recall-portsmouth-mayor-james-holley. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ 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
- ^ Forster, Dave (July 4, 2010). "Camps battle to rally voters on Mayor Holley's recall". The Virginian-Pilot. http://hamptonroads.com/2010/07/camps-battle-rally-voters-mayor-holleys-recall?cid=omc. Retrieved July 14, 2010.
- ^ 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
- ^ 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, archived from the original on 2007-09-26, 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, archived from the original on 2007-09-27, http://web.archive.org/web/20070927074229/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
Hampton Roads Major Cities Chesapeake · Hampton · Newport News · Norfolk · Portsmouth · Suffolk · Virginia Beach
Counties Currituck · Gloucester · Isle of Wight · James City · Mathews · Surry · York
Other cities Towns Claremont · Dendron · Smithfield · Surry · Windsor
Sub-regions Topics Transportation · People · History · Battle of Hampton Roads ·
Note: Italic indicates independent city not part of any countyCategories:- 1926 births
- African American mayors
- African American politicians
- African Americans' rights activists
- American dentists
- American military personnel of World War II
- Howard University alumni
- Independent politicians in the United States
- Living people
- Mayors of places in Virginia
- People from Portsmouth, Virginia
- Recalled American politicians
- United States Army soldiers
- Virginia city council members
- West Virginia State University alumni
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