F.L. Holton: 1919-2009

F.L. Holton Jr., whose philanthropy, business sense, and civic involvement made him an eastern Oklahoma legend, died on Sunday. He was 90 years old. A true pillar of the community, F.L. leaves his mark on nearly every facet of LeFlore County life, from higher education to business, from agriculture to banking, in his church and in civic clubs.
He was an encyclopedia of knowledge about the history of the local area, able to point out where people and businesses long-forgotten have shaped the Oklahoma landscape. His life spanned much of modern American history: the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, World War II, man on the moon, and thousands more moments.
He was a charter member of the Carl Albert State College Board of Regents, which was formed in 1971. He was serving his fifth seven-year term on the board and was the longest-serving college regent in Oklahoma.
During his tenure on the board, F.L. helped grow the college from one campus serving 200 students to an institution serving more than 2,400 students at two campuses and online.
In 1993 he was inducted into the Carl Albert State College Hall of Fame. In 1997, the Holton family established the F.L. Holton Endowed Professorship and the college’s business classroom building was named in his honor. Year after year, F.L. and his wife, Genevieve, contributed to the CASC Scholars Program, ensuring students received a quality education.
“There is no way to measure what F.L. Holton means to this college,” said Dr. Brandon R. Webb, CASC President. “He has been a consistent driving force behind the growth of CASC and the success of our students. The college grieves with the community and the Holton family, and we send them our deepest condolences.”
F.L. Holton Jr. was born in Cameron, Oklahoma in 1919. His father, F.L. Holton Sr., established a general merchandise store in downtown Poteau in 1926.
The Holton family lived just one block from the store and F.L. literally grew up in the business.
When he wasn’t at one of the Holton businesses he could be found at the courthouse, in the local lawyers’ offices, at the telephone company or at the local abstract office.
He graduated from Poteau High School in 1937 and graduated with a B.S. degree in business administration from Oklahoma A&M College in 1941. While in college, he met Genevieve Benbrook of Woodward and they were married in 1942.
F.L. spent the next four years in the Army Air Corps. He entered as a private, attended Officer Candidate School at Yale University, served in a B-17 group for a year and then attended contract school at Harvard University.
He served as a contract officer assigned to aircraft plants during World War II. He was discharged as a captain in 1946.
After the war, F.L. took over management of the Holton businesses in Poteau and carried them to new heights.
At one point, Holton owned businesses accounted for 10 percent of the total sales tax collected in LeFlore County.
The retail operation grew from the original 3,500 square foot general merchandise store to 45,000 square feet in four locations including department, hardware, furniture, supermarket, and retail feed stores.
The family also owned the Pontiac and International auto dealership from 1940-1971 and ran a large cow-calf operation on their 10,000-acre ranch northeast of Poteau.
During this period, F.L. pioneered the development of the poultry industry in eastern Oklahoma.
By 1952, he was producing two million broilers and 40,000 turkeys each year. In 1956, he founded Holton Mills to manufacture feed for the broiler and cattle industries.
F.L. also expanded the family’s interest in the banking industry. In 1954, he was named to the board of directors of Central National Bank and in 1967, he became a vice president. In 1978, he was elected Chairman of the Board.
Since that time, the bank has grown from $34 million to more than $150 million and continually ranks as one of the highest-performing banks in Oklahoma.
F.L. was one of Poteau’s outstanding civic leaders for more than 50 years. He served in leadership positions in the Poteau Rotary Club, the Poteau Chamber of Commerce, the Poteau Industrial Authority, the United Fund and the Eastern Oklahoma Historical Society.
His commitment to higher education spans four decades.
He served 20 years on the Phillips University Board of Trustees and was board chairman for four years.
He was a charter member of the OSU Development Foundation Board of Governors and served on that board for 19 years. He served two terms on the executive committee.
F.L. served 20 years as a College of Business Associate at OSU and in recognition of his contributions to business in Oklahoma, OSU chose him as the 17th inductee in the university’s College of Business Hall of Fame.
In 1990, the OSU Alumni Association honored F.L. with the Alumni Service Award for his contributions to OSU and higher education in Oklahoma.
He was also honored that year with the Rotary International Paul Harris Award.
In 1992, F.L. became the first recipient of the Poteau Lifetime Contribution Award.      
F.L. was an active member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Poteau.
He taught a Sunday School class, was an elder, and was a past board chairman. He has served as vice president of the Oklahoma Christian Men’s Fellowship and was named Layman of the Year for Oklahoma Christian Churches.
His funeral will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at First Christian Church, 208 N. Witte, Poteau.