Background
Julius Cecil Holmes was born on April 24, 1899 in Pleasanton, Kansas, United States. He was the son of James Reuben Holmes, a businessman, and Loella Jane Friedman.
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Julius Cecil Holmes
Edit ProfileEducation
Holmes combined intermittent study at the University of Kansas from 1917 to 1922 with service as an officer in the Kansas National Guard and the army reserve.
Career
In 1923 Holmes went into the insurance business but abandoned that activity for the foreign service in April 1925. He served in various posts in Eastern Europe. In 1934 Holmes was appointed assistant chief of the Division of Protocol and International Conferences, and in 1935 he served as secretary general of the inter-American conference convened to deal with the Chaco War (between Paraguay and Bolivia).
He resigned from the State Department in October 1937 to accept a position with the New York World's Fair Corporation (1937-1940), and from 1941 to 1942 he headed the Latin American subsidiary of General Mills. Holmes joined General Dwight D. Eisenhower's staff in 1942 and was involved in planning the invasion of North Africa.
He accompanied General Mark W. Clark on his secret mission to meet with French officials to arrange for the entry of Allied troops into neutral French North Africa. Holmes and Robert Murphy later drew up the agreement with Admiral François Darlan that ended Franco-Allied hostilities. His association with the infamous "Darlan deal" brought Holmes much criticism, although he insisted he did nothing more than carry out the instructions relayed by General Eisenhower from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Because of Holmes's diplomatic experience, General Eisenhower made Holmes responsible for developing plans to administer occupied areas in Sicily and Italy. Holmes is thus generally identified as the father of the Allied Military Government of the Occupied Territories. He was later responsible for advising liberated governments on restoring civilian life and devised the code of military laws and ordinances for the occupation of Germany. However, the civilian experts selected to implement Holmes' programs were often inclined to place expediency above ideology, and Holmes was accused of being "soft on fascism. " This charge, as well as his involvement with Admiral Darlan, resulted in critical commentary when Holmes was selected as assistant secretary of state for administration and personnel in December 1944.
Although successful in his new post, Holmes was reluctant to continue in government service. In August 1945 he resigned from the State Department to accept a more lucrative position with Transcontinental Western Airways, and in 1946 he became president of Taca Airways. At about the same time, Holmes and others formed the National Tanker Corporation for the purchase of surplus American tankers. The profits from this enterprise were so substantial that Holmes was indicted by a grand jury in Washington.
Although Holmes returned to the State Department in 1948, the indictment was not dismissed until 1954, and the lingering effects made it difficult for him to secure an appointment requiring senatorial approval. Despite his obvious experience and recognized talents, and the friendship of President Eisenhower, he was deemed too controversial. Obviously disappointed by this restriction, Holmes nonetheless served capably and effectively as minister to the American embassy in London; senior political adviser to the American delegation to the United Nations; minister to Morocco; special assistant to the secretary of state for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO); and consul general in Hong Kong and Macao. In 1961 a change of administration allowed Holmes' confirmation as ambassador to Iran.
Holmes served in Iran until 1962, a crucial period in Iranian history. For over a decade Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was preoccupied with the defense of Iran against imperialism, particularly Soviet imperialism. Such a policy entailed a substantial commitment in American aid. When Chairman Nikita Khrushchev predicted to President John F. Kennedy in Vienna that the shah would soon be overthrown by an indigenous upheaval, American policy was reevaluated. Holmes strongly supported the decision to curtail American aid until the shah instituted fundamental socioeconomic reforms to modernize Iran. Holmes was not the author of a doctrine or a policy, but he did influence important policies. He died in Washington.
Achievements
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Holmes was a distinctive figure in the diplomatic service. His postings included Turkey, Albania, Romania, England, Hong Kong, France, Morocco and Iran. During his career Holmes became known as an authority on the Middle East, North African issues, and as prominent ambassador to Iran. He was also prominent during World War II, achieving the rank of Brigadier General.
Connections
On April 26, 1932, Holmes married Henrietta Allen. They had three child.
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Born
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Died
July 14, 1968 (aged 69) -
Nationality
American