'Nothing to Lose,' Everything to Gain
Generous UM supporter J.L. Holloway shares inspirational story at Khayat Lecture Series
OXFORD, Miss. – Prentiss native J.L. Holloway has come a long way from humble beginnings. Growing up, he had few resources and even fewer paths to success, but he was determined to improve his station in life.
Over the next few decades, he founded and oversaw several business ventures that proved to be enormously profitable. Holloway has used the benefits he earned to support his community, generously sharing his financial rewards with many others, including the University of Mississippi.
He discussed his journey and his 2023 memoir, "Nothing to Lose: A Story of Poverty, Resilience, and Gratitude," on Sept. 5 as a featured speaker in the Robert C. Khayat Lecture Series, a program of the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy. He shared his story in conversation with Neil White, his publisher at Nautilus Publishing, in the Studio Theater at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.
"My childhood was very difficult," said Holloway, who lives primarily in Nashville, Tennessee, and maintains a home in Ridgeland. "Consequently, when I started writing my memoir, it was very difficult for me to delve so deeply into those painful years.
"But my wife, Diane, was a big source of encouragement. She was with me as I started the book, and she remained there to help me persevere through the process."
Karen Moore, president of the Ole Miss Alumni Association and a member of the Women's Council, recognized how "Nothing to Lose" reflects the purpose of the Khayat Lecture Series: to bring cross-cultural leaders, entrepreneurs and philanthropists to the community to share their stories and inspire students and others to become caring and ethical leaders.
"J.L. truly is a leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist – all in one," Moore said. "When I read the first couple of chapters, I had tears in my eyes. Yet, I also saw the grit and determination J.L. had to have to overcome how he grew up.
"His rags-to-riches story didn't come easy, but look where it took him. J.L. developed a philanthropic spirit and a positive outlook on life with his beautiful wife, Diane, and their family. It's inspiring to read about his journey and to get to know his kind and generous heart."
Diane Triplett Holloway, a 1985 UM graduate with a degree in interior design, is the daughter of the late Jackie and Dr. R. Faser Triplett, of Jackson, who were both longtime dedicated Ole Miss supporters.
Earlier in the evening, a group gathered to celebrate Diane and J.L. Holloway's $200,000 gift to renovate the Green Room at the Ford Center.
The Holloways have given more than $3 million to the university. These gifts include $250,000 to the Women's Council Global Leadership Circle and $1 million to Ole Miss athletics in 2017 that named the south entrance of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the Holloways' honor.
Additionally, the couple recently gave $250,000 to the Vaught Society, the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation's fundraising level that provides scholarships, academic guidance and wellness support for student-athletes.
After serving a six-month stint in the U.S. Army, Holloway's first job was selling sewing machines and vacuum cleaners. At 24, he started a small construction rental business that he built into a multistate organization before selling it.
He then began HAM Marine, which became the foundation of Friede Goldman International. With Holloway serving as its CEO, the company became a leading international provider of offshore drilling services with operations in eight countries and some 8,000 employees by the time he retired.
Holloway came out of retirement to found Tenax Aerospace in Madison. The company leased aircraft to the U.S. government while Holloway invested in and operated other companies. He sold Tenax in 2018 and formed Sable Investments, where he invests in land development, health care, construction, real estate and veterinary clinics.
The entrepreneur has earned many honors over the years, including being named to the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame and receiving the Mississippi Governor's Citizen of the Year award. The J.L. Holloway Business & Technology Center at Mississippi College was named in his honor in 2007.
"J.L. Holloway has given us a remarkable gift by telling his story in 'Nothing to Lose,'" White said. "His candor and honesty about his struggles and failures offer great hope to young people who will certainly make mistakes, stumble and fail themselves. His book should be required reading for students in business schools.
"His tenacity and resilience are models for us all. As he has said so many times, 'If you don't quit, you don't fail.'"
This spring, "Nothing to Lose" was recognized by the Independent Publishers Association as part of its annual IPPY Awards. It won the gold medal for best nonfiction book in the South region.
"I want our children, grandchildren and future family members to know what it took for me to not only survive but to thrive even in the most difficult of circumstances," Holloway said. "I hope my story told in this book encourages them and others, such as future entrepreneurs, to pursue their passions, dreams and goals with tenacity, determination and conviction."
For more information about the Ole Miss Women's Council and the Khayat Lecture Series, contact Suzanne Helveston, OMWC program director, at shelveston@olemiss.edu or 662-915-2956.
Top: J.L. Holloway (center), and his wife, Diane (right), share a laugh at a celebration honoring their recent gift to renovate the Green Room at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Photo by Bill Dabney/UM Foundation