L.T. Holloman Jr.

I had Him for history he was an incredible knowledge base for History especially WW2. Helped give me a love of History. I found out about his passing while trying to see if I could find him. I have a Ww2 collection of books passing 200. I can still say the specs of the Wright brothers plane and feel the sea spray as he threw water at us while telling us about it.

I first met Mr. Holloman at Truitt Jr. High in 1985. I was in his history class and what a class it was! When I entered the classroom the first thing I noticed were the terms on the blackboard (hundreds of them), maps everywhere, his desk situated in the middle of the room with desks surrounding it, and his ebullient, excited demeanor. Who was this guy? He wasn’t like any of my other teachers. He loved to teach and we had a blast in his classroom! There are so many memories, but a few come to mind. He frequently had us act out historical events: we staged the assassination of Ferdinand and Sofie (two of my friends in desks mimicking driving the car as the Archduke and wife, the class pretending to be at the parade, and one student playing the assassin); the Bataan death march in WWII – we marched around the room acting it out; “No Man’s Land” between the trenches in WWI, running across the tops of desks while having phone books thrown at us to simulate the attack. And I can’t forget that if he was ever reading a story to us while we were sitting at our desks. If he arrived at any description of water (crossing a river, etc.), watch out for a douse of water from his desk! That will get someone to pay attention. The class was rearranged and changed nearly every time we met. We had so many experiential activities in which he naturally engaged. I distinctly remember one of my history exams having a hand-drawn picture of the JFK assassination and having to fill in and draw elements of that terrible part of our history. I remember so much of what he taught because of how he taught us. What was so distinctive about Mr. Holloman, was his enthusiasm for teaching, the dedication to his students to understand and enjoy history, and his willingness to listen intently when we had any kind of struggle. He always played basketball after school and many of us played him in the gym (he had such a great 3-point shot). I don’t remember that we ever beat him. I have thought about him for years and since becoming a professor, see him as such a strong and positive influence on my teaching style, enthusiasm for helping others learn, and the use of experiential activities, metaphors, and other methods to help information make sense to my students and supervisees. I am proud to have been his student all those years ago. May God Bless you, LT Holloman! You were a wonderful man and will be missed.

Love LT’s History class. All my brothers and sister had him and he called us the Moose’s. He made History come alive. He had a 36” yard stick that he would always slam on the desk, cups of water that he would douse the students in the spirit of the attack of Pearl Harbor, Battle of Normandy, etc. We would always go up to the school during winter break and play Basketball. LT was the master of the 3 point set shot. He would get on fire and wouldn’t miss a shot. I have an undergraduate and graduate degree and his class was by far the best learning environment I ever had. LT ALWAYS kept it interesting. RIP and thanks for the impact you had on thousands of students it will not be forgotten.

LT was such a wonderful person and teacher. I have many memories of him as I was the Assist. Principal at Truitt from 1991 until 1994. He taught like no other teacher and I always enjoyed observing his class. I can still hear his booming voice say, “One, two, three, bon” for his famous quizzes. As the AP who did student scheduling, I always got tons of requests from students and their parents to be in Mr. Holloman’s class. Parents often said to me that they had been in LT’s class and they wanted their children to have that same kind of experience. I can also recall the heartbreak we all felt one day when LT had a heart attack at school and the paramedics took him out on a stretcher. Students and staff alike were so worried. When I went to the hospital after school to see him, the ICU nurses asked me, “Who is this man that we have in ICU? Is he a celebrity? We have never, ever, had so many calls in ICU to check on a patient.” I explained that he was a beloved teacher and was quite well know by everyone in South Norfolk. There will never be another like LT Holloman. He made History come alive for all of his students. We are all blessed for having known this wonderful person. My most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

Mr. Holloman’s class gave me a thirst for history and the details related. Just recently I was describing to my grandchildren that history wasn’t boring and told one of my memories about him standing on his desk and separating the class by ratio for those lost at Normandy, in the prison camps, etc. He made it fun, real, and helped us with the context. He gave us the education and tools that would help us in the future. His teaching was his testimony. I am a better person for having been exposed to him. His students are his legacy. Rest well, Mr. Holloman.