Whether through his contributions at the Calaboose African American History Museum in San Marcos or his research at Texas State University where he served as teacher and scholar, becoming a professor emeritus, few will likely forget knowing Dr. Elvin Holt, who died on Sept. 18, days before his 78th birthday.
Born in Bay City, Texas, on September 25, 1945, Holt would become the first Black tenured professor in the university’s Department of English. He joined the then Southwest Texas State University faculty in 1983, and from that day forward served the state and especially the San Marcos community for the next 37 years.
Holt was only of 20 professors who was chosen to participate in the university's first yearlong excellence in teaching and learning seminar. Along his academic path, he was the recipient of three fellowships from the National Endowment for the Humanities and was named professor of the year by the Association of Black Students in 1989.
