Holloway leaves $1.75 million to Lyon College

The late E. Graham Holloway, a former trustee and interim president of Lyon College, has left a $1.75 million gift to the college through a trust fund he established to benefit the institution both before and after his death.
 
College officials said most of the gift amount would be used to establish an endowed scholarship fund in memory of Mr. Holloway, who died Oct. 4, 2009, at his home in Georgetown, Texas.
 
The announcement of the gift was made during a ceremony in Holloway Theatre, which is named in memory of the Holloways’ son, I. Graham Holloway ’80, an actor, musician and athlete. A portrait of the elder Holloway was moved from the Mabee-Simpson Library to the theatre lobby, next to his son’s portrait, and rededicated at the ceremony.  
 
Mr. Holloway’s family – Carolyn, his wife of 54 years, daughter Valerie Skinner and son Scott Holloway, all from Texas ­– were on hand for the rededication.
 
Mr. Holloway was a longtime member of the Lyon Board of Trustees and served as chairman of the board from 1995-98. He also served as interim president of the college in 1988-89 and as the college’s first Executive-in-Residence in the fall semester of the 1993-94 academic year.
 
“Mr. Holloway was always a very positive influence on the campus,” said Dr. Donald Weatherman, president of Lyon. “He and Carolyn helped make my early years at Lyon very special because they were always very enthusiastic about everything that touched their lives. Lyon is a better school because of their influence.”   
 
Mr. Holloway received the college’s Honorary Alumnus Award in 1989 and was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2000. Graham and Carolyn Holloway were awarded Founders’ Medals for their support of Lyon College.
 
The Holloways have been generous donors to the college over the years, most notably in support of the theater program. They gave the lead gift for the construction of the Holloway Theatre.
 
Completed in 1991, the Holloway Theatre is a state-of-the-art facility for collegiate theatre productions and the study of the theatre arts. It contains a ‘black box’ theatre seating 150 for either three-quarter-round or proscenium theatre, and ample support facilities, including a rehearsal room, a green room, set and costume workshops, and large storage areas. The theatre is the home of the Harlequin Theatre.
 
Graham and Carolyn Holloway previously established three fellowships at Lyon College – two in honor of their family and one in memory of a close friend, Mary Bloker. These fellowships are designated to students studying in the fine arts.
 
Holloway was a retired president and chairman of the board of American Funds Distributors, Inc., of Dallas, Texas, one of the nation’s largest investment management companies.
 
The Holloways resided in Batesville while Mrs. Holloway completed her degree requirements at Lyon. She received her bachelor’s degree in art in 2000.
 
Holloway was born in Miami, but grew up in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before serving in the Air Force during the Korean War. He joined American Funds in 1956 and retired in 1997 after a 39-year career that culminated in his appointment as president in 1982.