Clifford Milburn Holland

Who was Clifford Milburn Holland?

Clifford Milburn Holland was born in Somerset, Massachusetts. He was the only child of Edward John Holland and Lydia Frances Hood. He graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in 1905 and a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1906. On November 5, 1908 he married Anna Coolidge Davenport. They had four daughters.

Holland began his career in New York City working as an assistant engineer on the construction of the Joralemon Street Tunnel, after which he served as the engineer-in-charge of construction of the Clark Street Tunnel, 60th Street Tunnel, Montague Street Tunnel and 14th Street Tunnel.

Holland was the first chief engineer on the Hudson River Vehicular Tunnel project. Holland died of a heart attack on the operating table while undergoing a tonsillectomy at a health center in Battle Creek, Michigan at the age of 41. The project was renamed the Holland Tunnel in his memory by the New York State Bridge and Tunnel Commission and the New Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commission on November 12, 1924.