Herbert C. Holdridge
He was able to secure an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated with the class of April 1917, after the American entry into World War I.While at West Point, he legally changed his surname to "Holdridge", a move precipitated by the rising anti-German sentiment in America during its entry into World War I.Holdridge saw that many of these schools were opened at smaller public and private colleges and universities that had been hard hit by loss of students to military service, helping to ensure their financial viability during the war years.Speculation has centered on his later political actions; among his relatives it was rumored that he was denied permission to publish a book of economic theories and chose to retire.Within six months of having retired, Holdridge gave a speech at a Socialist Party meeting in New York City, decrying the ideas of the two presidential contenders, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas E. Dewey.Opposition to mental health reform and the Roman Catholic Church, commitment to pacifism, and championship of returning Native American tribes to government by traditional chieftains, were among the few positions that he did hold consistently over the years.Later that year, he announced to reporters that he wanted to talk to American GIs held by the North Koreans, who had refused repatriation, and that he had written to his old classmate, then President Dwight D. Eisenhower, about it.His political activities and incessant writing of public letters to newspapers and elected officials would prove a minor embarrassment to his stepdaughter's acting career.His principal occupation during the last years of his life was trying to keep alive his Hopi government project, which was rendered futile by his inability to attract either funding or supporters.