Joseph F. Holt
Encyclopedia
Joseph Franklin Holt, III (July 6, 1924 - July 14, 1997) was a U.S. Representative
from California
.
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts
, Holt moved to Los Angeles, California
, with his parents when one year of age.
He attended the public schools.
Holt later enlisted as a private in the United States Marine Corps
and was called to active duty in July 1943 during WWII. He was discharged as a second lieutenant in October 1945.
Holt returned home and attended the University of Southern California
where he earned a B.S. in 1947. He later engaged in the insurance business and then entered the public relations field. Eventually he became the state president of the Young Republicans
of California and served as Richard Nixon
's field director during the 1950 senate race against Helen Gahagan Douglas. In January 1951 was recalled to active duty with the Marine Corps and volunteered for duty in the Korean War
. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Holt was elected as a Republican
to the Eighty-third
in 1952 and served three additional terms until he declined to run for reelection in 1960. In the 1952 Republican primary for the newly drawn 22nd congressional district in southern California he was aided by the strong endorsement of Nixon. His opponent, state senator Jack Tenney
, felt that Nixon, a popular U.S. senator, should have remained neutral in the race, but Nixon countered by saying that Holt represented the sort of young veteran that congress needed.
During a visit to the Soviet Union
in 1955 Rep. Holt was held at gun point by a Soviet Army officer that demanded that he cease taking photographs of a church near Moscow.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,865190,00.html
In 1956, Representative Holt appeared as a panelist on the Art Linkletter
Los Angeles based television show People Are Funny
. A contestant from the audience was selected; an insurance claims collector from Brooklyn, New York named Lillian Gelting. She had to determine which of the three men on stage was the real member of Congress, between a Chevron
service station attendant/owner from the San Fernando Valley
named Earl Sager and a press agent for Ringling Brothers Circus named Norman Carroll. The grand prize was $1,000, when she failed to select the Representative, she chose the press agent first, her award dropped to $250. In her second and final attempt, Lillian chose the gas station attendant/owner. Since Lillian was unable to select Representative Holt from the panel, both Sager and Carroll were given, "a magnificent Magnavox portable television set, for the finest reproduction of sight and sound." Since Lillian was unable to pick Representative Holt out of the panel, the show sent her on "an all expenses paid trip, on United Airlines, the number one radar airlines in the country, to the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas." Which was unique because she claimed that her family trip to the west coast included a trip to Las Vegas anyways; Lillian did ask Art if the show would "cover anything I lose?" To which Art answered with an emphatic "No," with a laugh; Art contended that, "Since you're a Congressman and can't accept gifts from your constituents without being investigated. Every Congressman spends a lot of time in smoke filled rooms, and so we want you to have your own bag of smoke. And there it is, you can open it up, and there comes the smoke." Representative Holt chuckled and responded, "Just what I've always wanted."
Holt later attempted unsuccessfully to return to congress in 1968, but was defeated in the general election by the incumbent James Corman. He spent the rest of his career as a business consultant and died in Santa Maria, California
on July 14, 1997.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Born in Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Holt moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, with his parents when one year of age.
He attended the public schools.
Holt later enlisted as a private in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
and was called to active duty in July 1943 during WWII. He was discharged as a second lieutenant in October 1945.
Holt returned home and attended the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
where he earned a B.S. in 1947. He later engaged in the insurance business and then entered the public relations field. Eventually he became the state president of the Young Republicans
Young Republicans
The Young Republicans is an organization for members of the Republican Party of the United States between the ages of 18 and 40. It has both a national organization and chapters in individual states....
of California and served as Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's field director during the 1950 senate race against Helen Gahagan Douglas. In January 1951 was recalled to active duty with the Marine Corps and volunteered for duty in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. He was wounded in action and was awarded the Purple Heart.
Holt was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the Eighty-third
83rd United States Congress
The Eighty-third United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1953 to January 3, 1955, during the first two years...
in 1952 and served three additional terms until he declined to run for reelection in 1960. In the 1952 Republican primary for the newly drawn 22nd congressional district in southern California he was aided by the strong endorsement of Nixon. His opponent, state senator Jack Tenney
Jack Tenney
Jack B. Tenney was an American politician who was noted for leading anti-communist investigations in California in the 1940s and early 1950s. Tenney was also the composer of several well-known songs, most notably "Mexicali Rose"....
, felt that Nixon, a popular U.S. senator, should have remained neutral in the race, but Nixon countered by saying that Holt represented the sort of young veteran that congress needed.
During a visit to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1955 Rep. Holt was held at gun point by a Soviet Army officer that demanded that he cease taking photographs of a church near Moscow.http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,865190,00.html
In 1956, Representative Holt appeared as a panelist on the Art Linkletter
Art Linkletter
Arthur Gordon "Art" Linkletter was a Canadian-born American radio and television personality. He was the host of House Party, which ran on CBS radio and television for 25 years, and People Are Funny, on NBC radio-TV for 19 years...
Los Angeles based television show People Are Funny
People Are Funny
People are Funny is an American radio and television game show, created by John Guedel that remained popular throughout the 1940s. The program ran from 1942 to 1960. The program's stunts and audience participation were calculated to reveal the humorous side of human nature...
. A contestant from the audience was selected; an insurance claims collector from Brooklyn, New York named Lillian Gelting. She had to determine which of the three men on stage was the real member of Congress, between a Chevron
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
service station attendant/owner from the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
named Earl Sager and a press agent for Ringling Brothers Circus named Norman Carroll. The grand prize was $1,000, when she failed to select the Representative, she chose the press agent first, her award dropped to $250. In her second and final attempt, Lillian chose the gas station attendant/owner. Since Lillian was unable to select Representative Holt from the panel, both Sager and Carroll were given, "a magnificent Magnavox portable television set, for the finest reproduction of sight and sound." Since Lillian was unable to pick Representative Holt out of the panel, the show sent her on "an all expenses paid trip, on United Airlines, the number one radar airlines in the country, to the Sahara Hotel in Las Vegas." Which was unique because she claimed that her family trip to the west coast included a trip to Las Vegas anyways; Lillian did ask Art if the show would "cover anything I lose?" To which Art answered with an emphatic "No," with a laugh; Art contended that, "Since you're a Congressman and can't accept gifts from your constituents without being investigated. Every Congressman spends a lot of time in smoke filled rooms, and so we want you to have your own bag of smoke. And there it is, you can open it up, and there comes the smoke." Representative Holt chuckled and responded, "Just what I've always wanted."
Holt later attempted unsuccessfully to return to congress in 1968, but was defeated in the general election by the incumbent James Corman. He spent the rest of his career as a business consultant and died in Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria, California
Santa Maria is a city in Santa Barbara County, on the Central Coast of California. The 2010 census population was 100,062, putting it ahead of Santa Barbara for the first time and making it the largest city in the county...
on July 14, 1997.