Bertha Merrill Holt
Encyclopedia
Bertha Merrill "B" Holt (August 16, 1916 - June 18, 2010) was an American politician who represented Alamance
and Rockingham
counties in the North Carolina State House of Representatives
from 1975-1993 where she championed North Carolina
's failed attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
and led the successful effort to remove the exemption of husbands from the state's rape laws
. In addition, she was active in the Episcopal Church
and was a founding member of the Alamance Women's Political Caucus and the Woman's Resource Center.
, and was the oldest of her five sisters. She came from a long family line of lawyers: her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all practicing attorneys.
In 1938 she received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Agnes Scott College
in Georgia and then became one of the first women to attend law school at the University of North Carolina before transferring to finish her law degree at the University of Alabama
in 1941.
From Alabama Holt moved to Washington, D.C.
, where she worked for the Treasury
and the Department of the Interior. and reconnected with Clary Holt whom she had met at University of North Carolina and would later marry. After World War II
Bertha and Clary Holt moved to Burlington, North Carolina
, and raised three children, a daughter, Harriet, and two sons, Merrill and Jefferson Holt
.
She was the first woman to serve on her Episcopal Church
vestry, later serving as its senior warden and as a member of North Carolina's Diocesan Council. She was the first woman to serve on the Bishop's Committee of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina.
In 1975, Holt was appointed to the North Carolina House of Representatives
and became the first woman to ever represent her district of Alamance and Rockingham counties. Voters returned her to office for eight consecutive terms - a total of 19 years. She established a distinguished record of public service. She was a founding member of the Alamance Women's Political Caucus in 1988 and of the Women's Resource Center in Alamance County in 1989. In 1995, she was a member of the delegation to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing.
to fill a seat vacated by John D. Long on August 18, 1975. North Carolina
was embroiled in a heated debate over the Equal Rights Amendment
and Holt quickly emerged as a steadfast proponent. Ultimately it was defeated.
During her career Holt sponsored many notable bills in the legislature including clarifying a judge's decision to decide what will become of firearms involved in crimes, insuring women cannot be charged with indecent exposure
for breastfeeding
, and solidifying the right of government employees to participate in political movements
A cornerstone of her political career was the removal of a husband's exemption from North Carolina rape laws. Previous to 1993 the law stated that "a person may not be prosecuted under this article if the victim is the person's legal spouse at the time of the commission of the alleged rape or sexual assault" The language of the statute was changed to specifically bar marital status as a defense in this crime. After she left the House of Representatives Holt later lamented "I worked on legislation about domestic violence and they're still working on it today. We haven't come far enough."
After her death North Carolina State House
Speaker Joe Hackney
said "[d]uring her nearly 20 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, she proved to be a dedicated and highly competent lawmaker and a pioneering female lawyer who mentored many of the women who followed her into the legislature."
throughout her life. She became the first woman to serve on her local vestry, served as a member of North Carolina's Diocesan Council, and served on the Bishop's Committee of the Episcopal Church of North Carolina. During her funeral Bishop Michael Curry
gave an impassioned homily, lauding her efforts to support people who have begun at a disadvantage both in the Episcopal Church and in politics even remarking "I stand here because of that woman and good people like her."
. She was honored by the ACLU with the Frank Porter Graham
Award in 2009.
Alamance, North Carolina
Alamance is a village in Alamance County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 310 at the 2000 census. The current estimated population is 357.-History:...
and Rockingham
Rockingham County, North Carolina
Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2010, the population was 93,643. Its county seat is Wentworth.- History :The county was formed in 1785 from Guilford County...
counties in the North Carolina State House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
from 1975-1993 where she championed North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
's failed attempt to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
and led the successful effort to remove the exemption of husbands from the state's rape laws
Spousal rape
Marital rape, also known as spousal rape, is non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim's spouse. As such, it as a form of partner rape, of domestic violence, and of sexual abuse. Once widely condoned or ignored by law, spousal rape is now repudiated by international conventions and...
. In addition, she was active in the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
and was a founding member of the Alamance Women's Political Caucus and the Woman's Resource Center.
Early life
Holt was born in Eufaula, AlabamaEufaula, Alabama
Eufaula is a city in Barbour County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 13,908.-Geography:Eufaula is located at 31°53'21.732" North, 85°9'13.586" West ....
, and was the oldest of her five sisters. She came from a long family line of lawyers: her great-grandfather, grandfather, and father were all practicing attorneys.
In 1938 she received her bachelor's degree in psychology from Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
in Georgia and then became one of the first women to attend law school at the University of North Carolina before transferring to finish her law degree at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
in 1941.
From Alabama Holt moved to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, where she worked for the Treasury
United States Department of the Treasury
The Department of the Treasury is an executive department and the treasury of the United States federal government. It was established by an Act of Congress in 1789 to manage government revenue...
and the Department of the Interior. and reconnected with Clary Holt whom she had met at University of North Carolina and would later marry. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Bertha and Clary Holt moved to Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
, and raised three children, a daughter, Harriet, and two sons, Merrill and Jefferson Holt
Jefferson Holt
Jefferson Holt is the founder of and former manager of rock band R.E.M., often referred to as the band's "fifth member," from 1981-1996.In 1996, Holt and R.E.M. parted ways. When asked about leaving the band he offered this statement to Chuck Philips, L.A.Times Staff Writer:"I've agreed to keep...
.
She was the first woman to serve on her Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
vestry, later serving as its senior warden and as a member of North Carolina's Diocesan Council. She was the first woman to serve on the Bishop's Committee of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina.
In 1975, Holt was appointed to the North Carolina House of Representatives
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
and became the first woman to ever represent her district of Alamance and Rockingham counties. Voters returned her to office for eight consecutive terms - a total of 19 years. She established a distinguished record of public service. She was a founding member of the Alamance Women's Political Caucus in 1988 and of the Women's Resource Center in Alamance County in 1989. In 1995, she was a member of the delegation to the Fourth United Nations Conference on Women in Beijing.
Political career
Holt was appointed by Governor James HolshouserJames Holshouser
James Eubert Holshouser, Jr. was the 68th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1973 to 1977. He was born in Boone, North Carolina....
to fill a seat vacated by John D. Long on August 18, 1975. North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
was embroiled in a heated debate over the Equal Rights Amendment
Equal Rights Amendment
The Equal Rights Amendment was a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution. The ERA was originally written by Alice Paul and, in 1923, it was introduced in the Congress for the first time...
and Holt quickly emerged as a steadfast proponent. Ultimately it was defeated.
During her career Holt sponsored many notable bills in the legislature including clarifying a judge's decision to decide what will become of firearms involved in crimes, insuring women cannot be charged with indecent exposure
Indecent exposure
Indecent exposure is the deliberate exposure in public or in view of the general public by a person of a portion or portions of his or her body, in circumstances where the exposure is contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. Indecent exposure laws vary in different...
for breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from female human breasts rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. It is recommended that mothers breastfeed for six months or...
, and solidifying the right of government employees to participate in political movements
A cornerstone of her political career was the removal of a husband's exemption from North Carolina rape laws. Previous to 1993 the law stated that "a person may not be prosecuted under this article if the victim is the person's legal spouse at the time of the commission of the alleged rape or sexual assault" The language of the statute was changed to specifically bar marital status as a defense in this crime. After she left the House of Representatives Holt later lamented "I worked on legislation about domestic violence and they're still working on it today. We haven't come far enough."
After her death North Carolina State House
North Carolina House of Representatives
The North Carolina House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the North Carolina General Assembly. The House is a 120-member body led by a Speaker of the House, who holds powers similar to those of the President pro-tem in the state senate....
Speaker Joe Hackney
Joe Hackney
Joe Hackney is a Democratic member of the North Carolina General Assembly representing the state's fifty-fourth House district, including constituents in Chatham, Orange, and Moore counties. A farmer and attorney from Chapel Hill, Hackney is currently serving in his sixteenth term in the state...
said "[d]uring her nearly 20 years in the North Carolina House of Representatives, she proved to be a dedicated and highly competent lawmaker and a pioneering female lawyer who mentored many of the women who followed her into the legislature."
Religion
Holt remained active in the Episcopal ChurchEpiscopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
throughout her life. She became the first woman to serve on her local vestry, served as a member of North Carolina's Diocesan Council, and served on the Bishop's Committee of the Episcopal Church of North Carolina. During her funeral Bishop Michael Curry
Michael Bruce Curry
Michael Bruce Curry is a bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was elected eleventh Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina on February 11, 2000 and ordained bishop on June 17, 2000, at Duke Chapel on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.The first African American bishop...
gave an impassioned homily, lauding her efforts to support people who have begun at a disadvantage both in the Episcopal Church and in politics even remarking "I stand here because of that woman and good people like her."
Awards
In 1996 Holt was acknowledged as a Distinguished Alumnus by the University of North Carolina General Alumni Association. In 2007, Holt received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Agnes Scott CollegeAgnes Scott College
Agnes Scott College is a private undergraduate college in the United States. Agnes Scott's campus lies in downtown Decatur, Georgia, nestled inside the perimeter of the bustling metro-Atlanta area....
. She was honored by the ACLU with the Frank Porter Graham
Frank Porter Graham
Frank Porter Graham was a president of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and, for a brief period, United States Senator.-Early life:...
Award in 2009.