Charles T. “Charlie” Holland

Charles T. "Charlie" Holland was a 1924 graduate of Alderson Baptist Academy. He joined the faculty of West Virginia University in 1939 as a professor of mining engineering until 1948. He served as acting director of the School of Mines during the latter part of this period. In 1948, Holland left West Virginia University to join Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University as head of the Department of Mining and Minerals Engineering. He served in that role until 1961. In 1976, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University established The Charles T. Holland Professor of Mining and Minerals Engineering in honor of him. In 1961, Holland returned to West Virginia University as professor of mining engineering, dean of the School of Mines and director of Mining Extension. He retired from West Virginia University in 1971. In 1979, WVU established The Charles T. Holland Distinguished Professor of Mining Engineering to commemorate his work. During his professional career, Holland served as consultant on mining problems for Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Italy and the United States. Holland was very active in the management of the West Virginia Coal Mining Institute. He served as President of the Institute in 1971 and also served as Secretary-Treasurer. In 1981, Mr. Holland was honored as President Emeritus of the Institute. Holland received numerous awards for his service to the coal industry and WVU. During his student days at WVU, he was a member of the Mountain, Sigma Xi, and Tau Beta Pi. He was recognized by the American Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Engineers by the Perry Nicholls Award in 1966. He received the Howard E. Eavenson Award for his outstanding contributions to the coal industry in the fields of Education and Training and Mine Roof Control in 1972. He was recognized as a Distinguished Member of the Society of Mining Engineers in 1976. In 1980, he received the Rock Mechanics Award for his distinguished work in coal mine pillar design, ameliorating bumps, and ground control. He authored or co-authored approximately 200 articles on mine and roof supports which were widely published. Holland is also well known for his collaboration with Frank L. Gaddy, a member of the West Virginia Coal Hall of Fame, in the development of the "Holland-Gaddy" formula," a coal pillar design formula that predicts the strength of coal pillars based on laboratory tests of coal cube strength combined with pillar height and width specifications. This formula was very popular in the 1960 to the 1990s. Many coal mines were designed using this formula. In 1981, WVU conferred the Order of Vandalia upon Holland for his outstanding contributions to the coal industry, WVU and the State of West Virginia.