Herb Holland

Herbert Stanley Holland served as the first president of the club. He was born on February 7, 1894 in New Britian, Connecticut, son of Franklin Holland and Margaret J. Stark and came to Shelton/Derby on a round-about way of Baltimore, Maryland. In 1901 the elder Holland moved the family from New Britian to Baltimore and established Holland Manufacturing, Inc. producing tacks of various types for various purposes. Young Herb graduated from Baltimore City College (1913) and Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania (1915). In 1920 Herbert was living in Baltimore, married to Mary Johnson Schooley and his profession was shown as Manufacturer of Tacks. Shortly thereafter the family became involved with the Shelton Tack Company. 

This company was started 1836 in Derby by Edward N. Shelton and his brother-in-law Nehemiah C. Sanford and later moved to Shelton. After Mr. Shelton died in 1894 the company was run by his son Edward DeForest Shelton until placed in receivership in1917. In 1923 Holland Manufacturing Co. of Baltimore assumed ownership of Shelton Tack Company. By 1925 Herb and family were living in New Haven. 

He is listed as vice president of the company The tack company was definitely a family affair. The father Franklin, living in Baltimore remained president until his death in 1929. Herbert's twin brother Howard E. Holland, also living in Baltimore, was managing the Baltimore operation and an officer of the Connecticut operation. In 1929-30 the Waterbury Tack Company was purchased and the Shelton Tubular Rivet Company created and both folded into the complex located on Canal Street in Shelton. Herbert served as president and treasurer while Howard served as vice-president and secretary of the combined company. 

By the mid-1960s the tack business in Shelton was no longer in existence leaving the tubular rivet part of the company standing alone on Canal Street. Herb became Chairman, his wife Edith was Secretary/Treasurer and two sons, John and Daniel, were managing the business. Shortly thereafter Herb left the Valley and resurfaced in Kauai, the most northern of the Hawaiian Islands, where he spent the rest of his years. He remained a faithful Rotarian with a perfect attendance record over a 50-year span up until the end of his live. He died there May 13, 1981 at the age of 87.