From farm roots to paying it forward: Jim and Ellen Holmes invest in Illinois students
Jim and Ellen Holmes have devoted their lives to service — first to their country and now to the next generation of students.
Jim Holmes grew up on a small Angus cattle farm near Dunlap, Illinois, where problem-solving was part of everyday life.
“If something broke, you fixed it with a screwdriver, an adjustable wrench, and a hammer,” Jim said with a laugh.
That practical mindset led him to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — his in-state, land-grant school of choice — where he earned a bachelor’s degree in what was then called power and machinery management in today’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Soon after graduating in 1968, Jim joined the Navy, where he discovered his degree still applied. “The university gave me a wide variety of skills helpful to my success in the Navy,” he said. “Whether it was adjusting a diesel engine or even making sure you had enough food on board for a 90-day deployment.”
Fifteen years in the Navy — rising from diesel mechanic to supply officer — were followed by two decades as a civilian contractor providing logistics support to the Navy.
Ellen, raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, also built a career of service. After earning a political science degree from UNC-Chapel Hill, she spent 32 years at the Center for Naval Analyses, indirectly supporting Navy and Marine Corps leadership as an executive assistant.
The two met at a tango demonstration at Bloomingdale’s in the D.C. area. “We shared a dance, and that was that,” Jim said. Their second date? A picnic on the Naval Academy dairy farm, complete with homemade apple pie and a hillside view of grazing cows. It was a revelation for Ellen, a self-identified city girl.
Now 38 years later, they finish each other’s sentences.
Together, they have turned their lifelong habit of saving and investing into a legacy for students through the James A. and Ellen C. Holmes Family Scholarship Fund to support students with financial need in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering.
“With the current assault on higher education, we think it’s important to help young folks who don’t have the means to get a college education,” Ellen said. “If we can pay it forward — even a little — that can make a big difference.”
They emphasize that a strong STEM education is more critical than ever for students entering agricultural fields. Jim marvels at how far equipment has come since his boyhood on the farm, from his family’s Farmall F20 to today’s GPS-guided tractors and AI-enabled systems. “Students need the structure, skill set, and insight to make modern machinery run — and to know when the computer isn’t right,” he said. “You still have to understand the math and science behind the answer.”
Jim’s advice? “Know what you want to do and learn everything you can about it,” he said. “Have fun, sure, but stay focused. You’re at U. of I. to discover things you won’t learn any other way.”
“Take every opportunity to read, learn, and grow,” Ellen added. “Find work that can sustain you — and then, when you can, pay it forward.”
Through their new scholarship, the Holmeses are extending their legacy of service — opening doors for Illinois students, strengthening agriculture through STEM education, and carrying forward the land-grant promise of discovery, practical solutions, and stronger communities.