J. Thomas Holton ’54

Tom died March 6, 2017. Born in Middletown, Ohio, he majored in civil engineering at Princeton. He was a member of Tiger Inn and the American Society of Civil Engineering. He attended Officer Candidate School, and after graduation he spent 10 years in the Naval Engineering Corps, spending time in the Reserves, and then retired as a lieutenant commander.

In 1957 he attended Harvard Business School and moved to Birmingham, Ala., in 1958 to join Sherman Concrete Pipe as its chairman. Under his leadership, the company grew to become Sherman International Corp.

Tom was active in many boards of state and national trade groups. He also served many charitable organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America and the Salvation Army, and was a trustee of Covenant College and Cornerstone Schools. Tom served as chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta for seven years. He enjoyed his participation in the Christian Union, Kiwanis Club, Monday Morning Quarterback Club, and the Country Club of Birmingham. He was an elder of Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Tom is survived by his wife of 58 years, Annie Lou; their children Beth, LuAnne, Ruth, Catherine, and Jerry; 11 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. The class is honored by his service to our country.