Grant Holly Death, Obituary – Since the year 1970, Grant Holly has maintained his position as a member of the teaching staff at Hobart and William Smith College, where he is currently a professor of English. The HWS community remembers him fondly not only for his accomplishments as a successful screenwriter, respected coworker, and scholar of literary theory; they also remember fondly for his ability to instill in multiple generations of students a love of learning that would last a lifetime. Other aspects of his life, such as his status as a well-respected coworker, are also recalled in people’s minds. Tuesday was the day that he took his last breath and passed away. After completing his doctoral studies at the University of Rochester in 1970, Professor Holly was given the opportunity to embark on a career in academia when he was offered a position in the English Department at the same university.
This was the beginning of Professor Holly’s long and fruitful career in academia. In the course of his work, he was responsible for instructing students in a diverse range of subjects. Some of these subjects included the art of screenwriting, literature, literary theory and psychoanalysis, and the literature of the 18th century. He was a mentor to a significant number of Honors students, coordinated a variety of study abroad programs, and was instrumental in the founding of a successful program in Los Angeles that offers students the opportunity to spend a week networking with alumni. In addition, he coordinated a variety of study abroad programs.
In addition to his work in the world of academia, Professor Holly has also produced screenplays, written TV pilots, and assisted Columbia TriStar with rewriting projects. As a distinguished scholar, he penned a large number of essays and reviews on a wide variety of subjects and people, including Swift, Pope, Blake, Austen, the novel, literary theory, and early expeditions all over the world. His work can be found in a variety of academic journals and anthologies. Swift, Pope, Blake, and Austen are just a few of the subjects and individuals that he discussed. President Mark D. Gearan shared his condolences with the HWS student body and informed them of Professor Holly’s passing through a letter that was disseminated across the HWS campus.
In the letter, President Gearan also reflected on Professor Holly’s time spent at HWS. Holly served on the HWS faculty for a significant amount of time. Grant Holly’s dedication to our neighborhood was demonstrated over the course of more than half a century by the students he advised, the scholarships he established, the screenplays he wrote, and the artists he helped financially. According to Gearan, “He regarded each session and each student as an opportunity to share his love of the world with them, and he did it with a plentiful supply of energy and enthusiasm.” “He carried it out as if it were the single most important thing in the entire universe.”