Walter Holcomb

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Reverend Walter Benton Holcomb, also known as Walt Holcomb (July 29, 1877 – February 16, 1965), was an American Methodist evangelist and lecturer on the Chautauqua circuit during the 1900s.

Biography[edit]

Walter Benton Holcomb was born on July 29, 1877 or 1878 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.[1][2] He started his religious career at the age of sixteen around 1895 around the same time as a meeting with famed evangelist Samuel Porter Jones with whom he would be closely connected.[3] [4] Around 1900 he started publishing a magazine called the Revival.[5] During this time, he traveled with Jones until the latter died in 1906.[6] Present at the death of Jones, Holcomb assisted Jone's widow in the creation of the biography, The Life and Sayings of Sam P. Jones.[7][8] Holcomb as edited a compilation Jone's sermons.[9] He married Blanche Lamar on December 3, 1902, but she died on January 21, 1904.[10][11] After that he married Sam P. Jones's daughter Julia on April 17, 1907.[12] He traveled for a few years on the Chautauqua circuit, preaching throughout the south in places like Texas and Florida.[13][14][15] His most popular address was called 'Holcomb's Horse Race" or "They're Off", a lecture in which he drew upon the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to condemn divorce, anarchy and alcoholism among other vices.[16][17] In summer of 1922, he departed for a tour of Europe with stops including Germany, Belgium, Poland, Prague.[18] His talks in Prague resulted in the book "Modern Evangelism and Ancient Environment."[19] In 1936, he made a similar Asian tour of Korea, Japan and China.[20] On August 8, 1928, Holcomb recorded four sermons for the Okeh Records company in Atlanta, Georgia.[21][22] The four titles were "Safety First", "House of Prayer", "Hearts Algow" and one other with title uncertain. Only "Safety First" and "House of Prayer" were issued as Okeh 45262.[21] In 1945, he preached throughout Central and South America and made a return in the early 1960's to hold revivals in Lima, Peru and Buenos Aires, Argentina.[23][24] Despite a 1955 heart attack, he remained active into the sixties, often involving himself in the political issues of the day like racism and the election of John F. Kennedy especially regarding his Catholicism.[25][26][6] Holcomb died on February 16, 1965, with a funeral on February 19. He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Cartersville.[6]

Obscenity trial[edit]

Holcomb was embroiled in controversy in 1908 over some uncouth remarks made at a Cartersville, Georgia, revival meeting.[27] On September 29, 1907, French Oliver was due to make a men-only sermon at 3:30 pm, after Holcomb's 11:00 am sermon, but many women mistakenly showed up.[28] The women were pressed to leave by Holcomb but there was resistance due to pouring rain outside.[29] In the process, Holcomb made a statement towards a woman of larger proportions which caused the controversy as well as perhaps other alleged statements.[30][31] He was indicted for "use of obscene language in presence of ladies" by the Bartow County Grand Jury.[27] Discussion continued throughout February with both Sam Jones Jr., son of Holcomb's former mentor, and the Tabernacle Association program committee (composed of Cartersville ministers) springing to his defense.[32][33] He pleaded not guilty but was found guilty in June and had his appeal rejected in October.[34][35] He career continued almost unscathed after that and he continued his work long after the courts' decision.[36]

Pastorates[edit]

Holcomb was assigned to the Tampa, Florida, Hyde Park Methodist Church pastoral position in 1926 and served there until 1929.[37][38] He then served at Trinity Church, Miami until 1931.[39] Whilst in Miami, he aided in a crusade against gambling and other issues throughout the city.[40] In 1931 he moved to Memphis, Tennessee's Madison Height's Methodist Church until 1933 when he left for Decatur, Georgia.[39][41] In 1936 he moved operations to Atlanta, first as pastor of Calvary Methodist Church and then at Wesley Memorial Church starting in 1940.[42][43] He remained there for two years.[44]

Education[edit]

Holcomb studied at Randolph-Macon College and Cumberland University with further work at the universities of Chicago and Harvard.[45] He was given an honorary doctorate of divinity from Centenary College and honorary alumni status from Emory University where he had given a lecture series which was turned into his 1955 book, The Gospel of Grace.[39][45]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Who's Who in Tennessee; A Biographical Reference Book of Notable Tennesseeans of To-day. Memphis, Tennessee: Paul & Douglass Co. Publishers. 1911. p. 426.
  2. ^ "Methodist Mission Meet Will Hear Report On Asia". Asheville Citizen-Times. July 29, 1964. p. 6.
  3. ^ "ELKIN DEPARTMENT". The Yadkin Valley News. April 18, 1895. p. 2.
  4. ^ "REAL SAM JONES BY HIS FOLLOWER". Herald and Review. August 22, 1907. p. 1.
  5. ^ "STATE NEWS". The News and Observer. March 7, 1900. p. 4.
  6. ^ a b c "Dr. Walt Holcomb, Famed Pastor, Dies". The Atlanta Constitution. February 18, 1965. p. 14.
  7. ^ "EVANGELIST SAM JONES DROPS DEAD". The Texola Herald. October 19, 1906. p. 1.
  8. ^ Jone, Mrs. Sam; Holcomb, Walt (1907). The Life and Sayings of Sam P. Jones. Atlanta, Georgia: The Franklin-Turner Co. p. 9.
  9. ^ Jones, Samuel Porter; Holcomb, Rev. Walter (1909). Popular lectures of Sam P. Jones;. Fleming H. Revell Company. p. 8.
  10. ^ "A Statesville Wedding". The Charlotte Observer. November 18, 1902. p. 5.
  11. ^ "Statesville Woman Burned to Death While Receiving Treatment". January 22, 1904. p. 8.
  12. ^ "SOCIAL NEWS". The Chattanooga Star. April 17, 1907. p. 6.
  13. ^ "WALT HOLCOMB AS LECTURER". The Big Sandy News. March 25, 1910. p. 6.
  14. ^ "WALT HOLCOMB WILL LECTURE HERE DEC. 13". The Tennessean. December 1, 1910. p. 4.
  15. ^ "LARGE AUDIENCE HEARS HOLCOMB'S FAMOUS ADDRESS". Tampa Bay Times. February 23, 1915. p. 1.
  16. ^ "ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE". Nashville Banner. May 2, 1910. p. 3.
  17. ^ ""THEY'RE OFF" BY HOLCOMB". Chattanooga Daily Times. December 18, 1911. p. 2.
  18. ^ "Rev Walt Holcomb Son Of Roanoker Going To Europe". The World-News. July 13, 1922. p. 5.
  19. ^ Holcomb, Rev. Walter (1924). Modern Evangelism and Ancient Environment. Nashville, Tennessee: Cokesbury Press. p. 7.
  20. ^ "Rev. Walt Holcomb Goes to Orient on Preaching Mission". The Atlanta Journal. June 22, 1936. p. 18.
  21. ^ a b Russell, Tony; Pinson, Bob (2004). Country Music Records: A Discography, 1921-1942. Oxford University Press. p. 432. ISBN 0195366212.
  22. ^ "Rev. Walt Holcomb Makes Sermon Records". The Atlanta Journal. August 12, 1928. p. 9.
  23. ^ "EVANGELIST TO GO TO LATIN AMERICA". The Miami News. March 3, 1945. p. 12.
  24. ^ Barnwell, Katherine (May 14, 1961). "Sam Jones' Son-in-Law Won't Quit Preaching". The Atlanta Journal. p. 50.
  25. ^ "Racial Tensions To Be Discussed". The Charlotte Observer. July 30, 1961. p. 8.
  26. ^ Barker, Eddie (September 21, 1960). "'Catholic Issue' Shocks Him Into Defending Sen. Kennedy". The Atlanta Constitution. p. 5.
  27. ^ a b "REV. WALT HOLCOMB WAS INDICTED FOR OBSCENITY". The Macon Telegraph. January 31, 1908. p. 2.
  28. ^ "MUCH INTEREST IN CONFERENCE". The Atlanta Constitution. September 22, 1907. p. 6.
  29. ^ "PREACHER'S TALK SHOCKED WOMEN". The Chanute Daily Tribune. February 1, 1908. p. 8.
  30. ^ "Rev. Walt Holcomb Threatens to Speak Out". The Macon Telegraph. February 15, 1908. p. 1.
  31. ^ "REV. HOLCOMB DEFENDED". Chattanooga Daily Times. February 10, 1908. p. 4.
  32. ^ "JONES ROASTS THE INDICTMENT". The Atlanta Constitution. February 16, 1908. p. 9.
  33. ^ "JURY'S ACTION IS DISCUSSED". The Atlanta Constitution. February 9, 1908. p. 4.
  34. ^ "HOLCOMB WAS FOUND GUILTY". The Atlanta Constitution. June 21, 1908. p. 3.
  35. ^ "REV. WALTER HOLCOMB: Charged With Using Profane Language in a Sermon to Men". The Semi-Weekly Leader. October 31, 1908. p. 2.
  36. ^ "EVANGELIST WALT HOLCOMB: RETURNS FROM TEXAS AND WILL PREACH TWICE TO-MORROW". Nashville Banner. September 19, 1908. p. 11.
  37. ^ "DR. WALT HOLCOMB BEGINS DUTIES AS HYDE PARK PASTOR". The Tampa Tribune. December 27, 1926. p. 3.
  38. ^ "SIX METHODIST PASTORS HERE TRANSFERRED". The Tampa Tribune. June 18, 1929. p. 1.
  39. ^ a b c "FIRST SERMON TOMORROW". The Commercial Appeal. December 5, 1931. p. 8.
  40. ^ "PASTOR SHOUTS TILL ALL MIAMI GAMBLERS SHUT". Chicago Tribune. February 24, 1931. p. 6.
  41. ^ "Rev. Walt Holcomb Leaves for Decatur". The Atlanta Journal. November 29, 1933. p. 18.
  42. ^ "Methodist Ministers Take New Charges". The Atlanta Journal. December 13, 1936. p. 17.
  43. ^ "Dr. Walt Holcomb To Begin Pastorate". The Atlanta Constitution. December 2, 1940. p. 2.
  44. ^ "Dr. Holcomb Leaving on Tour Of Latin America". The Atlanta Constitution. March 6, 1945. p. 4.
  45. ^ a b Barnwell, Katherine (May 14, 1961). "Dr. Walt Holcomb Explains Why Many Churches Have Empty Benches (Continued From Page 50)". The Atlanta Journal. p. 53.
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