Andrew David Holt (December 4, 1904 – August 7, 1987) was an American educator who was the 16th president of the

University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (or The University of Tennessee; UT; UT Knoxville; or colloquially UTK or Tennessee) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Knoxville, Tennessee, United St ...

, filling that position from 1959 to 1970. Milton M. Klein
Andrew D. Holt, UT's Sixteenth President (1959-1970)
, accessed September 11, 2010

Holt was born in

Milan, Tennessee Milan ( ) is the largest city in Gibson County, Tennessee. It is home to the Milan Army Ammunition Plant, the West Tennessee Agricultural Museum and several historical sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Gibson Co ...

in 1904, the son of two schoolteachers. He graduated from Milan High School and

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

. After his college graduation in 1927, he became a

teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching. ''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...

West Tennessee West Tennessee is one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee that roughly comprises the western quarter of the state. The region includes 21 counties between the Tennessee and Mississippi rivers, delineated by state law. Its geography consists ...

, first in Milan, where he taught grades five through eight, and then in

Humboldt Humboldt may refer to: People * Alexander von Humboldt, German natural scientist, brother of Wilhelm von Humboldt * Wilhelm von Humboldt, German linguist, philosopher, and diplomat, brother of Alexander von Humboldt Fictional characters * Hu ...

, where he taught

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

.Teresa Biddle-Douglass
Andrew David Holt
''Tennessee Encyclopedia of History and Culture'' He also worked as a

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of Athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Coac ...

, a

school principal A headmaster/headmistress, head teacher, head, school administrator, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the teacher, staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. Role ...

, and a

school superintendent In the American education system, a superintendent or superintendent of schools is an administrator or manager in charge of a number of public schools or a school district, a local government body overseeing public schools. All school principal ...

. After less than 10 years of teaching, he joined the faculty of West Tennessee State Teachers College (now the

University of Memphis The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students. The university maintains the Herff Col ...

), where he served successively as principal of the Training School, director of

teacher training Teacher education or teacher training refers to programs, policies, procedures, and provision designed to equip (prospective) teachers with the knowledge, attitude (psychology), attitudes, behaviors, approaches, methodologies and skills they requir ...

, and professor of educational administration. While working in

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Mem ...

, he enrolled in a

graduate program Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor' ...

Teachers College, Columbia University Teachers College, Columbia University (TC) is the graduate school of education affiliated with Columbia University, a private research university in New York City. Founded in 1887, Teachers College has been a part of Columbia University since ...

, which awarded him a

Ph.D. degree A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...

in 1937. His doctoral dissertation at Columbia was about the continuing struggle for public support of education in

Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...

. After receiving his Ph.D., Holt started a new job as executive secretary of the Tennessee Education Association (TEA). In 1949 he became president of the

National Education Association The National Education Association (NEA) is the largest labor union in the United States. It represents public school teachers and other support personnel, faculty and staffers at colleges and universities, retired educators, and college st ...

, after having been elected first vice president in 1948. In 1950 he left the TEA to join the University of Tennessee as executive assistant to university president Cloide Brehm. In 1953 he became the university's vice president, and after Brehm's retirement in 1959 the university's trustees appointed him to the university presidency. Retired University Historian Milton Klein has described Holt's leadership of the

University of Tennessee system The University of Tennessee System (UT System) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is one of two public university systems, the other being the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR). It consists of four primary camp ...

as "marked by a burst of energy unsurpassed in the University's history." During Holt's tenure as president, enrollment increased threefold and the faculty and staff doubled in number. Eight new buildings were built on the university's flagship campus in

Knoxville Knoxville is a city in Knox County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the Tennessee River and had a population of 190,740 at the 2020 United States census. It is the largest city in the East Tennessee Grand Division ...

. The university budget and state government funding for its support both increased fourfold. During Holt's presidency, he worked with the board of trustees in 1960 to change the university's admissions policy to accept African Americans. The first black underclassmen were enrolled in January 1961. Holt died in

on August 7, 1987. The University of Tennessee administration building, Andy Holt Tower, completed in 1973, and a street on the university's Knoxville

campus A campus traditionally refers to the land and buildings of a college or university. This will often include libraries, lecture halls, student centers and, for residential universities, residence halls and dining halls. By extension, a corp ...

, Andy Holt Avenue (formerly Rose Avenue), are named in his honor.Carroll Van West (1995)
Tennessee's historic landscapes: A traveler's guide
University of Tennessee Press. Page 79. The largest

dormitory A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm), also known as a hall of residence, a residence hall (often abbreviated to halls), or a hostel, is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential qu ...

on campus, a 15-

story Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Narrative, an account of imaginary or real people and events ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting ** News story, an event or topic reported by a news orga ...

building that is officially named Apartment Residence Hall, is located on Andy Holt Avenue and is commonly called "Andy Holt Apartments", or just "Andy Holt".Apartment Residence Hall
, University Housing website,

, accessed September 11, 2010. The building is in the process of being demolished.Knoxville News Sentinel
article posted August 5, 2015

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holt, Andrew David School superintendents in Tennessee Teachers College, Columbia University alumni Emory University alumni Presidents of the National Education Association People from Milan, Tennessee University of Memphis faculty Leaders of the University of Tennessee Knoxville 1904 births 1987 deaths 20th-century American academics