Greenbrier County, West Virginia - 160th Anniversary Booklet - Part 33 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** Historical Booklet - Greenbrier County 160th Anniversary - 1778-1938 Published 1938 Transcribed by Lori Samples STATESMEN OF GREENBRIER Homer A. Holt Homer Adams Holt, twentieth Governor of West Virginia, was born March 1, 1898 at Lewisburg, Greenbrier County. He is the son of Robert Byrne and Emma McWhorter Holt. He graduated from Greenbrier Military School in 1915 and from Washington and Lee University with the degree of A. B. in 1918. He was an honor law graduate of W. & L; LL.B., 1923. He received the degree of LL.D. from West Virginia University in 1937. He served as second lieutenant in the coast Artillery during the World War. He married Isabel Wood March 22, 1924. They have two daughters, Julia and Isabel. He is a Presbyterian. He was professor of law at Washington and Lee University, 1923-25, and actively engaged in the practice of law at Fayetteville, 1925-33. He was elected Attorney General at the general election in 1932. He was elected Governor at the general election in 1936. Governor Holt is the grandson of the late Judge Homer A. Holt, of Greenbrier, who served 1890-96 as a member of the Supreme Court of Appeals. James Rubert Price James Rubert Price, Governor of Virginia, was born at Organ Cave, Greenbrier County, September 7, 1878. He is the son of Charles William and Nancy (Boone) Price. He received his free school diploma when only twelve years of age. He graduated from Washington and Lee with the A. B. degree. He graduated in Law and practiced in Richmond, Virginia, for twenty years. He served seven terms in the Virginia Assembly and two terms as Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. He is a former Captain and Adjutant, 1st Virginia National Guard. He has served on many committees, including the Yorktown Susquicentennial and the George Washington Bicentennial. He was elected governor of Virginia in 1937. Gov. Henry Mason Mathews (1877-81) Henry Mason Mathews, eldest son of Mason and Eliza (Reynolds) Mathews, was born March 29, 1834, at Frankford, and died a Lewisburg April 28, 1884. He was educated at the University of Virginia, taking the degrees of B. A. and M. A., and later read law at Judge Brockenbrough's celebrated Law School in Lexington, Virginia. He married Lucy Clayton Fry, daughter of Judge Joseph and Elizabeth (McElhenney) Fry. He was teaching modern languages in Allegheny College, Blue Sulphur Springs, when he resigned to serve in the Confederate Army, in which he was promoted to be a Major of Artillery. shortly after the war he was elected to the State Senate from the Greenbrier District by practically a unanimous vote, but did not take his seat owning to his inability to take the test oath. With James Withrow, esq., the delegate from Greenbrier, he was allowed to address the Legislature at Wheeling. He was a representative at the Constitutional Convention of 1872. He was Attorney General 1872-76, and was elected Governor of West Virginia in the latter year. He served until March 4, 1881. Hon. Samuel Price Samuel Price was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, July 28, 1805, and died in Lewisburg February 25, 1884. His father moved to what is now Preston County, West Virginia, in 1815. In 1827 Mr. rice, after studying law in Kentucky, located in Nicholas county. He was State's Attorney for the county, the Virginia Legislature, representing Nicholas and Fayette. He located in Lewisburg in 1837 and married Jane Stuart, of pioneer days. Samuel Price was again elected to the Legislature in 1848. In 1850, he was chosen to represent his district in the Virginia Constitutional Convention. He was a member of the famous Virginia Convention. He was a member of the famous Virginian Convention in 1861. In 1863, he was elected Lieutenant Governor of Virginia and as such presided over several sessions of the State Senate. He presided as President of the West Virginia constitutional Convention of 1871. In 1877 he was appointed to succeed United States Senator Allan T Caperton.. Judge Homer A. Holt Home A. Holt was born April 27, 1831, in Parkersburg (the Virginia), was a son of Jonathon and Eliza (Wilson) Holt. At sutton, January 27, 1857, Mr Holt wedded Mary Ann Byrne, a sister of Col. B. W Byrne. The children of the judge and Mrs. Holt were: John Homer Holt, a distinguished member of the bar, Robert B Holt, and Mrs. Mary N. Dice, the latter two living in Greenbrier County. In the fall of 1853 Mr. Holt was admitted to the bar and practiced his profession in Braxton and adjoining counties from 1854 to 1873, when he was elected judge of the circuit composed of Greenbrier Pocahontas, Monroe, Summers, Fayette, Nicholas, Braxton and Clay counties. Shortly after his election to the bench he moved to Lewisburg, where he spend the remaining days of his life. A new circuit having been formed, taking off the counties of Nicholas, Braxton and Clay, he was again elected for the term of eight years in the new Tenth Circuit. In the year 1890 he was appointed by Governor Fleming to fill the vacancy of the Supreme Court bench and was in 1892 elected to the same office. Judge Holt died in January 1898. Judge Adam Clarke Snyder A. C. Snyder, long an honored member of the bar of Greenbrier, was born in Highland County, Virginia, March 26, 1834, and died in Lewisburg July 24 1896. He was educated at Washington College, Lexington, Virginia, and at the famous Law School of Judge Brokenbrough in the same town. He served with the Greenbrier Rifles in the Confederate Army, and resumed practice in Lewisburg after the war closed. In 1882 he was appointed to the State Supreme Court to fill out the unexpired term of Judge James F. Patton. Later, he was elected for the full term. Judge L. Judson Williams Judge Luther Judson Williams, a son of Albert Gallatin Williams and a grandson of John Williams, was educated in the common schools of Greenbrier and read law at the University of Virginia. He earned a reputation of a capable lawyer, and was made Honorary President of the State Bar Association. In 1908, he was elected to the State Supreme Court. There is also an illustration of Gov. Arthur Ingram Boreman, first Governor of West Virginia (1863-1869) and Hon. William Loomis, a distinguished guest, President National Editorial Association. THE END