2008 Woodie Awards
Keith Holliday '75 moves on
Sean Urquhart
Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Features
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After eight years of service to the city of Greensboro, Mayor and Guilford graduate Keith Holliday has hung up his hat and called it a day. Yvonne Johnson, long time city council representative and Greensboro's first African-American mayor has taken the helm.
Holliday graduated from Guilford in 1975 during a turbulent time in American history: The Vietnam War. His experiences here changed him forever.
"If you would of told me I would one day be mayor of Greensboro, I would have said you're nuts," Holliday said. "I would never have thought about being that institutional. Even back in high school I was always in trouble," Holliday said with a chuckle. "Guilford set the stage for my whole attitude, it raised my conscience level far beyond any other college would have."
Born in Greensboro to a conservative Quaker family, Guilford was an eye opening change for Holliday. "I remember on my first day freshman year I saw an interracial couple walking toward me holding hands. I thought I was about to faint. It was an unbelievable eye-opener. My mouth hit the ground. That sight told me what the next four years were going to bring."
He attributes much of this change to his experiences as a student during the Vietnam War. "A lot of things happened that had us all paying attention, it was a real growing experience for a majority of us."
Holliday showed signs of being a political mover and shaker when he and a group of his peers ousted the Guilford "rent-a-cops" as he called them and started a student police force of criminal justice majors.
"I became the head of the student security force and wound up hiring all of my buddies," Holliday said.
After graduating with a sociology degree and minors in both psychology and criminal justice, Holliday began working for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. In 1984, he received the Young Correctional Officer of the Year award. In 1987, he left his position to work for First Citizens Bank where he is currently the vice president. Holliday got his political feet wet in 1995 when he became a member of the City Council, a position he held until being sworn in as mayor in 1999.
Holliday graduated from Guilford in 1975 during a turbulent time in American history: The Vietnam War. His experiences here changed him forever.
"If you would of told me I would one day be mayor of Greensboro, I would have said you're nuts," Holliday said. "I would never have thought about being that institutional. Even back in high school I was always in trouble," Holliday said with a chuckle. "Guilford set the stage for my whole attitude, it raised my conscience level far beyond any other college would have."
Born in Greensboro to a conservative Quaker family, Guilford was an eye opening change for Holliday. "I remember on my first day freshman year I saw an interracial couple walking toward me holding hands. I thought I was about to faint. It was an unbelievable eye-opener. My mouth hit the ground. That sight told me what the next four years were going to bring."
He attributes much of this change to his experiences as a student during the Vietnam War. "A lot of things happened that had us all paying attention, it was a real growing experience for a majority of us."
Holliday showed signs of being a political mover and shaker when he and a group of his peers ousted the Guilford "rent-a-cops" as he called them and started a student police force of criminal justice majors.
"I became the head of the student security force and wound up hiring all of my buddies," Holliday said.
After graduating with a sociology degree and minors in both psychology and criminal justice, Holliday began working for the North Carolina Department of Corrections. In 1984, he received the Young Correctional Officer of the Year award. In 1987, he left his position to work for First Citizens Bank where he is currently the vice president. Holliday got his political feet wet in 1995 when he became a member of the City Council, a position he held until being sworn in as mayor in 1999.
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