William Henry Holtzclaw

William Henry Holtzclaw (1870–1943) was an educator and the founder of Utica Institute in Mississippi. Holtzclaw was a graduate of the Tuskegee Institute and desired to start his own school. He settled in Utica, Mississippi, bought land on credit, and persuaded the locals to appoint him teacher of what was then called the Utica Negro School in 1902. Holtzclaw and his students built the first and second school buildings themselves.

Holtzclaw was also a writer. He published two newspapers, the monthly Utica News and a school newspaper, Southern Notes. Holtzclaw's house, called the Holtzclaw Mansion was the last surviving building from the original campus. It was listed as one of the ten most endangered places in Mississippi and was demolished in 2014.

Personal life

Holtzclaw was born in Randolph County, Alabama, near the town of Roanoke, to Jerry and Addie Greer Holtzclaw. He wrote directly to Booker T. Washington asking for and receiving admission to Tuskegee Institute. He was married to educator Mary Ella Patterson who he met at Tuskegee and they had three sons and two daughters.