Less Holyfield

Less Holyfield was a dual sport athlete in football and baseball. According to teammates, Holyfield was one of the toughest, cleanest defensive ends to play at Emory & Henry, leading to his 1997 induction into the Sports Hall of Fame.

A 1941 graduate of E&H, Holyfield played and lettered three years on both the varsity baseball and football teams. A defensive end on the gridiron, Holyfield received honorable mention All-State in his junior and senior years and was captain of the team his senior year.

Holyfield’s engagement extended beyond athletics during his time at Emory & Henry. He was president of Dom-I-Necher social fraternity, served on Men’s Panhellenic Council and Honor Court, and was a cabinet member in several student organizations including Blue Key and Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.

After college, Holyfield served for nearly five years in the Army Air Corps during World War II. He starred for the Jefferson Barracks Football squad of St. Louis, a team which was considered at one time to be the strongest Army team in the nation.

Subsequent to his time in the Armed Forces, Holyfield established Holyfield Food Company, which grew from three salesmen to twenty daily routes, supplying snack foods to retail stores and outlets. After three decades, he sold Holyfield Food Company and retired to live on a farm.

Less H. Holyfield passed away on November 24, 2006 at the age of 90. He was an active and avid supporter of his alma mater all his life.