Obituary of Samuel M. Holton

Dr. Samuel M. Holton, 87, of Chapel Hill, NC died on March 17, 2010. Dr. Holton was born in Durham, NC on May 29, 1922, the son of Holland and Lela Young Holton. He graduated from Durham High in 1938. He graduated from Duke University, New York University and Yale University where he received his Ph.D. in Education in 1948. During World War II, he served in the US Army Air Corp in India and China as a meteorologist, leaving the service as a Captain. His academic career as a professor at UNC-Chapel Hill in the School of Education began in 1948, retiring in 1987. He was principal from 1953-1955 at Bartlett-Yancy High School in Yancyville, NC, whiled on professional leave from UNC. He wrote the textbook "Understanding the American Public High School: and numerous education publications. He served on the Chapel Hill-Carboro school board from 1968-1975. He was on the board of trustees of NC Wesleyan College in Rocky Mont, NC and Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC. Sam was an Eagle Scout and a Boy Scout leader. He was awarded the Boy Scouts' highest honor, the Silver Beaver Award by the Occoneechee Council in 1966 for over 30 years of service to the Boy Scouts at Duke Memorial United Methodist Church in Durham. He was honored to be a member of the Kiwanis Club for over 50 years. Sam and his wife Margaret have established the Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professorship in the UNC School of Education. Dr. Samuel M. Holton is survived by his loving wife of 57 years, Margaret Umberger Holton, three daughters: Margaret (Meg) D. Holton and husband, Jerrel Kesling of Chapel Hill; Grace H. Holton of Durham; Elizabeth (Betsy) H. Carmichael and husband, John of Davidson and one son, Robert W. Holton and wife, Beverly of Boone; six grandchildren, Lori A. and Kelly A. Holton of Boone, Alexander H. Kesling of Chapel Hill, and John Samuel "Jack:, Robert W. and Andrew H. Carmichael of Davidson; an two close cousins, Edith Murphy of Durham and Mary Grace Anderson of Kennesaw, Georgia. He was preceded in death by his parents Holland and Lela Young Holton and by two brothers, Winfred Quinton Holton and Holland Young Holton. Funeral services for Dr. Samuel M. Holton will be conducted Saturday at 2:00 PM at the University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill. The family will receive friends on Friday from 5:00-7:00 pm at Hall-Wynne Funeral Home, Durham, NC. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the School of Education Foundation, Inc., for the "Samuel M. Holton Distinguished Professorship in the School of Education" Attention Wendy Borman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Peabody Hall, Campus Box 3500, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3500 or to your local Boy Scout Council. Hall-Wynne Funeral Service of Durham is serving the Holton family. www.hallwynne.com