Longtime Langston University president Ernest Holloway dies

Holloway, who was being treated for stomach cancer in Texas, died Saturday afternoon, said Currie Ballard, former university historian in residence. He was 81.

Holloway worked for 40 years of service to Langston, a historically black university, where he rose from assistant registrar to become the 14th president in 1979.

Before becoming president, Holloway had served as the school's registrar, a professor, vice president of administration and dean of student affairs. Holloway also was a student at Langston.

Holloway was inducted into the Oklahoma Educators Hall of Fame in 1996 and the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2002 he was presented with the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund Education Leadership Award, which recognized Holloway as a leader in education.

Before he took over as president, the university had five presidents in less than 10 years and during that time there was talk of closing the school. Holloway brought stability to Lang-ston, which was created in 1897 as the Colored Agricultural and Normal University. It was the first and only state college to be designated by race.

"If he had stumbled as president of Langston, there wouldn't be Lang-ston as we know it," Ballard said.

"He's the only person I've ever known in a high position of authority to have an open-door policy. If you were an alumnus, he had the same policy at his home," he said.

"He was just an extraordinary personality and leader," former Gov. David Walters said Saturday. "I really enjoyed working with him while I was in office."

Walters, who served as governor from 1991-95, said he enjoyed Holloway's good-natured lobbying "for all things Langston."

Walters recalled that during one of the commencement speeches he gave at Langston it seemed especially warm inside.

"I couldn't help but think Ernest may have actually turned the heat up in the gymnasium which he was lobbying to try to get us to air condition," Walters said. "We were all sweating so profusely. We found a way to get the gymnasium air-conditioned shortly thereafter. He kidded about the heat, of course, but made his point."

Holloway also worked to improve Oklahoma 33 between Guthrie and Coyle, including a span that runs north of Langston University, which is named the Dr. Ernest L. Holloway Highway.

Holloway and others complained that the former two-lane highway from Guthrie to Coyle was unsafe, putting Langston students and their families at risk. Walters said work on getting money for the improvements started under his administration; funding came during the administration of his successor, Frank Keating.

"That created a new front door for Langston University," Walters said. "It changed the complexion of the campus and made it a lot safer place for the kids to get back and forth to. That was a big deal for Ernest to finally get that done."

Rep. Mike Shelton, a 1996 graduate of Langston, worked for a year in Holloway's office while a student.

"He was the biggest advocate Langston had," said Shelton, D-Oklahoma City. "He truly bled orange and blue. He understands the time to fight and he understands the time for compromise and he would never put Langton second to any university in the state of Oklahoma."

Holloway is survived by sons Ernest Holloway Jr., of Beaumont, Texas, Norman Holloway, of Kansas City, Mo., and Reginald Holloway, of Richmond, Texas, as well as several grandchildren.

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20111225_11_A16_CUTLIN724134&rss_lnk=1

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