Notable Lewis Countians
Helen Froelich Holt
1913–2015
A state delegate, West Virginia secretary of state, and federal elder-housing advocate whose public service extended across seven presidential administrations. Illinois-born, Holt made Weston and the Holt family central to her West Virginia public life after marrying Rush Holt Sr.
Lewis County connection
Illinois-born, Holt made Weston and the Holt family central to her West Virginia public life after marrying Rush Holt Sr.
The West Virginia State Capitol, used here as a context image for a career in state government.
Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress, LC-DIG-highsm-31695 · Public domain; no known restrictions on publication
Lewis County connection
Illinois-born, Holt made Weston and the Holt family central to her West Virginia public life after marrying Rush Holt Sr.
Career and public significance
A state delegate, West Virginia secretary of state, and federal elder-housing advocate whose public service extended across seven presidential administrations.
Her brief statewide tenure broke a barrier, while her much longer federal housing work helped make independent living possible for older Americans.
Reading the record carefully
The page states her adopted Lewis County connection precisely and treats her work as an achievement in its own right, not an appendix to her husband's career.
Life and legacy
Timeline
1913
Born in Illinois.
1955
Enters the West Virginia House of Delegates.
1957–1959
Serves as West Virginia secretary of state.
2015
Dies at age 101.
Sources and further reading
How this profile was documented
- Helen F. Holt
e-WV: The West Virginia Encyclopedia
Starting source for biographical dates, offices, achievements, and the Lewis County connection.
- Helen Holt papers
WVU Libraries
Starting source for biographical dates, offices, achievements, and the Lewis County connection.
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