This poster will examine tumultuous events during the tenure of WSU’s longest serving President, Ernest O. Holland (1915-1945). The research is part of a newly commissioned publication, the Washington State University Press will publish titled Legacy of Leadership, a biographical history of the Presidents of Washington State University from its founding. Each of the eleven presidents will be treated in a separate, illustrated chapter created by different authors focusing not only their leadership style and personality, but also how that leadership was applied in their specific time in society. President Holland led WSU through a major conflict with the University of Washington over the duplication of courses, the 1918 influenza epidemic in Pullman resulting in an all campus quarantine, the Great Depression, and World War II. Trevor Bond will explore Holland’s successes and failings during these challenging episodes and his personal, hands-on leadership style. Today, Holland is most closely associated with the library named for him, though the design of the building is not what he wanted. His collections of books and art survive on campus, but are not well known. However, WSU’s status a comprehensive research University is due largely to Holland who won the political fight with the University of Washington to offer an expansive range of course and also built upon President Bryan’s expansive vision of a land-grant college as providing both a practical and liberal education.