Joseph Austin Holmes

Joseph Austin Holmes (January 23, 1859 – July 13, 1915) was a geologist and occupational safety and health pioneer, best known as the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines. He is the namesake of the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association created in 1916.

Early life and education Joseph Austin Holmes was born on January 23, 1859, in Laurens, South Carolina. He was one of 12 children, and attended Laurens Academy.

His contemporaries sometimes referred to him as "Joe Holmes".

Legacy A year after his death, in 1916, the Joseph A. Holmes Safety Association was established to pay respect and honor the work Holmes did.

Holmes was inducted posthumously into the National Mining Hall of Fame in 1990. He is remembered for coining the phrase "safety first", as used as a watchword in the mines.