Otis Halbert Holmes (February 22, 1902 – July 27, 1977) was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

state, serving a total of eight consecutive terms, from 1943 to 1959. He did not stand for re-election in 1958, retiring to his ranch. Starting his career as a teacher and academic, Holmes also became a livestock rancher in Eastern Washington. He joined the Republican Party and entered politics. He was a grandson of US Representative

Dudley Chase Haskell Dudley Chase Haskell (March 23, 1842 – December 16, 1883) was an American merchant, Civil War veteran, and Republican Party politician from the Lawrence, Kansas area. He first served several terms in the Kansas House of Representatives, where h ...

(R-KS).

Early life and education

Born in

Cresco, Iowa Cresco is a city in Howard County, Iowa, United States. The population was 3,888 in the 2020 census, a decline from 3,905 in 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. History Cresco was platted in 1866 at the time the railroad was e ...

, Holmes moved in 1915 with his parents and family to

Walla Walla, Washington Walla Walla is a city in Walla Walla County, Washington, where it is the largest city and county seat. It had a population of 34,060 at the 2020 census, estimated to have decreased to 33,927 as of 2021. The population of the city and its two ...

, where he attended the public schools. He graduated from

Whitman College Whitman College is a private liberal arts college in Walla Walla, Washington. The school offers 53 majors and 33 minors in the liberal arts and sciences, and it has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. Whitman was the first college in the Pacifi ...

, also in Walla Walla, in 1923. He attended graduate school at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manha ...

, New York City, where he earned his degree in 1927.

Career

Holmes returned to Washington, where he first taught economics at

Ellensburg High School Ellensburg High School is a secondary school in Ellensburg, Washington, operated by the Ellensburg School District. Academics Qualified 11th and 12th grade students may take classes at Central Washington University and earn both high school an ...

in 1924. He taught in 1925 at what became

Central Washington College of Education Central Washington University (CWU) is a public university in Ellensburg, Washington. Founded in 1891, the university consists of four divisions: the President's Division, Business and Financial Affairs, Operations, and Academic and Student Li ...

at Ellensburg. It was first established as a normal school for the training of elementary school teachers. After completing his graduate degree, Holmes taught at Columbia University in 1928 and 1929. He returned to the Pacific Northwest, teaching at Central Washington College of Education from 1930-1942. From 1934 to 1942 Holmes was also a livestock rancher and operator. Holmes was elected in 1942 as a Republican to the Seventy-eighth and to the seven succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1943 - January 3, 1959). Holmes voted in favor of the

Civil Rights Act of 1957 The Civil Rights Act of 1957 was the first federal civil rights legislation passed by the United States Congress since the Civil Rights Act of 1875. The bill was passed by the 85th United States Congress and signed into law by President Dw ...

. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1958 to the Eighty-sixth Congress. Holmes died in

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The unin ...

, July 27, 1977, and was buried in Terrace Heights Memorial Park.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holmes, Otis Halbert 1902 births 1977 deaths Politicians from Walla Walla, Washington Columbia University alumni Whitman College alumni Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state) People from Cresco, Iowa 20th-century American politicians