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Colonel Thomas Elbridge Holland, a former state legislator, newspaper publisher, personnel director, and retired United States Air Force Colonel, died at his home in Silver City, NM, September 30, 2008. He was 97. He was predeceased by his wife of 67 years, Frances Noble Holland; daughter, Roberta Holland Upton; and grandson, Thomas Gorman Upton. He is survived by his son, Thomas E. Holland, Jr., and wife Michelle of Chimayo, NM; six grandchildren, Sarah Holland and husband Peter Jones of Camden, ME; Julianne Holland of Middlebury, VT; Reed Upton and wife Constance of Albuquerque, NM; Robert Upton and wife Dina of Westport, CT; Sylvia Holland of Chimayo, NM; Emily Talley and husband James of Austin, TX; and four great-grandchildren, Alexandra Upton of Oakland, CA; Rachel and Thomas Upton of Westport, CT; and Adriano Agudelo of Middlebury, VT. Colonel Holland was born in Silver City, Territory of New Mexico, on June 9, 1911. He was the son of Cora Miller Holland and Thomas W. Holland of Gila. In his early years, the family lived in Gila, Silver City, and Tyrone. He graduated in 1928 from Teachers College High School, now Silver High School. Colonel Holland graduated from DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, in 1933, where he was commissioned Second Lieutenant and served as a camp commander in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Later, he was transferred to the United States Air Force. He received a Master's Degree in geopolitics from Georgetown University in 1947. His military career included command of several Civilian Conservation Corps camps in New Mexico during the 1930s, service stateside during World War II, and duty with the occupational forces in Austria immediately after the War. He was also involved in the military planning associated with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization while he was stationed in the Pentagon, London, and Madrid. At the time of his retirement in 1960, Colonel Holland was Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, located on Sandia Base, Albuquerque, NM. He held the Legion of Merit. After retiring from the military he was employed at ACF Industries, Inc. and by General Electric Co., both in Albuquerque, NM. He was a member of the New Mexico Press Association, a charter member of the Albuquerque Press Club, and served two terms as president of the New Mexico Public Relations Conference. Colonel Holland and his wife Frances (Pat) purchased the Silver City Enterprise in 1975 and moved to Silver City. They sold the paper in 1980, at which time it was the oldest continuously published weekly newspaper in New Mexico. Colonel Holland played an active role in Bernalillo County and Grant County politics. He made an unsuccessful run for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1960. In 1966, he ran successfully for state representative from Bernalillo County, serving one term. He was a member of St. Johns Episcopal Cathedral in Albuquerque, and later the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepard in Silver City. He was also a member of the Silver City/Grant County Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Directors of the Western New Mexico University Foundation. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Western New Mexico University Education Hall of Fame. Memorial Services will be held Tuesday, October 7, 2008, 10:00 a.m., at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Silver City, New Mexico, followed by interment in the family plot at Gila Cemetery, Gila, New Mexico.
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