Remembering Ambassador Glen Holden, who inspired generations of leaders
 

Glen Holden Sr, BS ’51 (business administration), passed away on April 18, 2024, at the age of ninety-six. Ambassador Holden was a dedicated Duck, pre-eminent business leader, prolific polo player, and US diplomat who served as ambassador to Jamaica from 1989 to 1993. He will be remembered for championing student success and leadership at the University of Oregon and beyond. 

Born in Boise, Idaho, Ambassador Holden spent most of his youth on a ranch in McMinnville where he helped train horses to earn money during the Great Depression. He came to the UO in 1947 after being honorably discharged from the US Army and quickly became a pillar of the community. It was at the UO where he met his wife, Gloria, who passed away in 2019, where he began his foray into the insurance agency after chatting with a local agent, and where he became a president of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. During his time as a student, Ambassador Holden worked to reclaim the charter for the fraternity, which earned him the title of Man of Principle, and later, the Oxford Cup—Beta Theta Pi’s most prestigious alumni award. In 2014, the fraternity’s chapter house was renamed Holden Hall. 

“His focus was to not only to take the lead with strong values, but to follow good leaders and give them support,” says Bill Schaub, UO alum, Beta Theta Pi House Corp president, and friend to the Holden family. “That was the example that he gave young men as he brought these great principles of leadership down to a personal level.” 

Ambassador and Mrs. Holden’s legacy of leadership transformed not just the Beta Theta Pi fraternity, but the entire university. They were early donors to the Presidential Scholarship program and, in 2005, gave a gift of $500,000 to establish an endowment for student leadership development. That endowment evolved into what is now known as the Holden Center for Leadership and Community Engagement, a beloved facility on the Eugene campus which helps students become tomorrow's leaders, today. The Center acts as a hub for professional development, experiential learning, and community engagement. 

“What stood out to me was how much Ambassador Holden cared about UO students and wanted to be sure they were getting the education and experiences they need to succeed,” says Director of the Holden Center, Melissa Yamamoto. “We are deeply grateful for the Holdens’ support and commitment.”

Ambassador Holden was a leading innovator in variable annuities and life insurance. He spearheaded the variable annuity product in the US and helped develop laws and regulations for it in all fifty states. This led to him becoming one of the first recipients of the Variable Annuity Industries Hall of Fame honor. In 1973, he formed the Security First Group and became founder, CEO, and chairman of The Holden Group.

Outside of his career, Ambassador Holden remained a steadfast horseman. His proclivity for polo—a time-honored sport in which teams on horseback compete to drive a ball into the opponent's goal—won him the Pacific Post Open, the Governor’s Cup, and in 1993, the US Open Polo Championship. Ambassador Holden earned a two-goal rating on the field and played alongside royalty such as King Charles. He was a founding member of the Federation of International Polo and served as governor for the US Polo Association for many years. Ambassador Holden was inducted into the Museum of Polo and Hall of Fame in 2002. Because of his impact, Polo Training Center Santa Barbara continues to help build the polo skills of young players around the world.

It would be a challenge to list all the initiatives that Ambassador Holden helped launch or organizations that he was involved with. His philanthropy, service, and engagement were felt in so many communities and his belief never wavered that “all obstacles and controversies have reasonable and valuable solutions".

“He did well, and did well for others,” Schaub says. “I was honored to have known him and to have been his friend.”

Nothing was more important to Ambassador Holden than his family. He is survived by his son, Glen Arthur Holden Jr, his daughter Geannie Holden Sheller and son-in-law Michael Sheller, plus nine grandchildren and ten great grandchildren. His second daughter, Georgianne Holden Stone, predeceased him in 2019.

—by Sage Kiernan-Sherrow, University Advancement Editor and Writer