William Babe Holland

Wabash Valley profiles : a series of tributes to hometown heroes who have made a difference

Description:	One typed page including photograph; biography of William Sylvester Hollard, esteemed coach and school administrator in Houston, Texas. WABASHP R OFIA hometown h heroes who h difference. A seriies of ttributes tto h f ib t t h have made a diff dVALLEYL E SWilliam Babe Hollandn excellent student-athlete at Wiley High School and Indiana State Normal, Terre Haute native William Sylvester Holland became an esteemed coach and school administrator in Houston, Texas. The third child of George W. and Alcinda Holland, Babe --as he was known during his Terre Haute residency--was born March 2, 1904, at 1109 South 17th St. His father worked for the post office. Older sister Lois and older brother Arthur became teachers in the Terre Haute public schools. After attending Booker T. Washington School in 1917, Babe matriculated to Wiley, where as a senior on the 1921 track team, he won the Sectional title in the 220-yard high hurdles in school record time and qualified for the Indiana High School Athletic Association finals. At Indiana State Normal, he was a three-year letterman as a sprinter and hurdler in track, setting the school standard at 100 yards in 10.1 seconds. He was also the Sycamores starting left fielder in baseball, recognized for his speed and defensive prowess even though a knee injury restricted his performance. After earning a degree in 1925, Holland did graduate work at Tennessee State College until 1927 when he was hired to teach physical education and coach all sports, including football, basketball and track, at the new Jack Yates Senior High School in Houston. Jack Yates athletic program promptly rose to prominence. In 1930 Hollands high school football squad won the 1930 Texas Negro High School football title and its track teams were dominant. Babe returned to Terre Haute during the summers of 1928, 1931, 1932 and 1933, where his family still resided, to earn a master s degree at Indiana State Teachers College. He resigned from coaching duties when he was appointed to succeed James D. Ryan as principal at Jack Yates in 1941. As school administrator, Holland was outspoken in his crusade to secure equivalent facilities, equipment and books for African-American children. When the new Jack Yates High School building opened in 1958, largely as the result of Hollands efforts, he was punished for his activism. Instead of being retained as principal, he was named principal of the new James D. Ryan Middle School, situated in the former Jack Yates High School building. Holland retired in 1974 after serving 47 years with the Houston Independent Schools. In retirement, he was elected to the school board of trustees. Today there is a William Holland Middle School in Houston. Holland died on July 22, 1981, at age 77, and is interred at Houston Memorial Gardens. He was survived by his widow and two children, George and Edith. George Holland has passed away but Edith is believed to reside in California. The William S. Holland Scholarship Fund to benefit Jack Yates High School students was launched after Hollands death and, for several years, the Jack Yates Alumni Association hosted a William Holland Memorial Golf Tournament to raise funds to update school equipment.AMEMBER FDICAlways Close to Home812-238-6000Si g n up now for FREE* online banking atwww.first-online.comEQUAL HOUSING LENDER MEMBER FDIC*One-time sign-up fee $5.95
Origin:	2006-03-16
Created By:	McCormick, Mike
Publisher:	Terre Haute Tribune-Star
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/vchs/id/1030
Collection:	Vigo County Historical Society
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Holland, William Sylvester, 1904-1981 African Americans Coaching (Athletics) School administrators Sports Education People

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