Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-04
NEW COMMANDMENT At
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT
Colonel George J. Holden, Form
erly of Burlington, Detailed as
Professor of Military Science
and Tactics, Relieving ColoneI
H. A. Leonhaeuser, Retired,

The following special order signed by
General Peyton c. March, chief of staff,
has been received by Acting President
Guy w. Bailey of the University of Yer
mont: "By direction of the President.
Colonel George j. Holden. infantry, is
relieved from his present assignment and
duties. is detailed as professor of mill
tary science and tactics at the University
OF Vermont and State Agricultural Col
lege, Burlington, VT, and will proceed tc
Burlington and report for duty accord
ingly. Colonel Holden Is appointed as act
ing quartermaster while on the duty to
which detailed by this order"
The reason for assigning a new COM
mandant to the university in place of
Colonel Leonhaeuser is owing to the fact
that the war department has established
a policy of returning all the retired Of
ncers to the inactive list, since the close
OF the war Colonel II. A. Leonhaeuser
has been here for three years He has
been very efficient having had the train
ing of 2,235 men at the university and
has made many friends in Burlington As
long as a change is necessary the uni
versity is fortunate in securing an of
hce' with an exceptionally fine record
who is at the same time an alumnus OF
the institution.
: Colonel Holden entered the University
OF Vermont in the fall of 1895 and early
IN 1898 ne was appointed a second lieu
tenant in the United States army, taking
part in the Spanish american War, part
of his service being in Cuba Two or
three years later he completed his uni
Versity course, being graduated az
bachelor OF science In mechanical en-
gineerns as of the class of 1899 Before
The end of his first year in the army hs
was commissioned first lieutenant. He
mad been stationed at many army posts.
one of the first being Fort Smelling. MINI.
For nearly two years, he was stationed
In burlington, as paymaster for the forts
In this part of New England and northern
New York. He has had two periods of
service in the Philippines and went to
Mexico with General Pershiiigs expedi-
ton For several years his rank was
captain and soon after the United States
entered the war with Germany he was
assigned to Fort Benjamin Harrison at
Indianapolis Ind, with the rank Of of
major. Later he was assigned to
iChlllicothe. Ohio, where the S3rd Division
was stationed under General Glenn, his
duty being the training of the machine
gun battalions of that division He was
also head of the transportation corps and
was made a lieutenant colonel He was
ordered to France with the S3rd Division
but on the eve of embarkation he re
ceived new orders assigning him as COM
mandant of the machine gun school at
Camp Hancock. Augusta, Ga. with tho
rank of colonel General Gem was
anxious to have Colonel Holden accom- =
pany his division to Europe but the war
department needed his experience in
training men in this important camp
There were 900 commissioned officers and
$500 enlisted men in this machine gun
school,
When Camp Hancock was closed Col
onel Holden was ordered to Minneapolis
as commandant of the reserve officers
school but he was soon transferred to
Camp Funston, Kan, to serve in a sim
liar capacity.
Colonel Holden is son of George X
Holden. one Of Burlngton's prominent
business men. Thirteen years ago he
married Miss Elsie Constans of St Paul.
Mimi. and one child has been born to
them, daughter who is now II years
old.
When Colonel Holden was n captain hs
always had the reputation of command
ing one OF the crack companies of his
regiment and he was particularly inter-
ested in athletics. He has many friends
In Burlington who will welcome his re-
turn to this city.