Inaugural Impressions
Amy Arnold Holloway (1894–1969)
Amy Augusta Arnold was born in Paducah, Kentucky, on September 30, 1894, to Richard and Fannie Arnold. She had two older siblings, sister Lillian and brother Charles. Little is known of her early life except that she was raised in Texarkana, Arkansas, and attended Ouachita College in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.
Amy was working as a teacher in Hugo, Oklahoma, when she met lawyer William Judson Holloway. They married in Texarkana on June 16, 1917, and resided in Hugo. William subsequently volunteered for the armed forces, but World War I ended before he was sent overseas. The couple had one son, William J. (Billy) Holloway Jr., who would go on to become a US circuit court judge.
William served as a state senator before being elected lieutenant governor in 1926. He was at home when he heard of Governor Henry Johnston’s removal from office in March 1929.
Amy insisted that her husband’s elevation would not change them, and the couple made a point to remain humble during their time in the Governor’s Mansion. Amy did not take part in her husband’s campaigning. When asked what the couple did for fun, Amy replied that they liked to read, “but not too much.” William fondly recalled a large family gathering at the mansion for Christmas in 1929, just as the state was descending into the Great Depression.
William’s term as governor ended in 1931. The Holloways remained in Oklahoma City, where William resumed his law practice, and the family attended St. Luke’s United Methodist Church. Amy participated in several clubs and organizations, including the Women’s Society of Christian Service at St. Luke’s, the Blue Flower Garden Club, and the Bookmark Club. She died on September 8, 1969, and is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Oklahoma City.
Governor William J. Holloway and Amy Arnold Holloway with their son, Billy
(21499.60, William J. Holloway Collection, OHS)
