Holmes Tuttle
Holmes P. Tuttle | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Tuttle, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Died | June 16, 1989 (aged 83) Montecito, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, automobile dealer |
| Known for | Leader of Ronald Reagan's informal advisory group "Kitchen Cabinet" |
Holmes P. Tuttle (June 17, 1905 – June 16, 1989) was a prominent entrepreneur and automobile dealer based in California, who also served as the leader of President Ronald Reagan's informal advisory group known as the "Kitchen Cabinet".
Early life and career
Born in Tuttle, Oklahoma, a town named after his father, Tuttle began his journey in the automotive industry at age seventeen in 1923 by securing a position at a Ford Parts facility located in Oklahoma City. Despite Ford's hiring policy requiring employees to be at least twenty-one, his tall stature and a recommendation from a banker acquainted with his father helped him gain employment. In 1926, he ventured westward to Los Angeles by hopping on a freight train. After being removed by a train official along with a companion who persuaded him to move to California, they persuaded a wealthy woman—whose chauffeur was incapacitated—to allow them to drive her to California. Upon arrival, Tuttle worked as a parts manager at a Ford dealership. In 1945, he launched his own dealership, Holmes Tuttle, Inc., which flourished and expanded into fourteen dealerships across California and Arizona. One of his earliest dealerships was situated in Los Angeles. During the late 1940s, he declined an offer to become the national distributor for a European car manufacturer. Having recently suffered nearly one million dollars in losses as the distributor for the English Ford, he remarked that if returning American servicemen were unwilling to purchase vehicles produced by their British allies, they would be even less likely to buy German-made cars such as Volkswagens. In the mid-1950s, Ford Motor Company requested Tuttle to meet with an ailing dealer in Tucson, Arizona who needed to sell his Ford dealership. After a brief fifteen-minute discussion, Tuttle agreed to acquire Monte Mansfield Ford. Over fifty years later, this dealership continues to operate under the name Holmes Tuttle Ford.
Political involvement
Although Tuttle never held elected office, he maintained active participation in political matters throughout his life. His political engagement commenced in 1952 when he supported General Dwight D. Eisenhower's presidential campaign. Subsequently, he campaigned for candidates including Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, and Gerald Ford. According to his son Robert Tuttle, Holmes attended every Republican National Convention from 1960 through 1984 as a delegate.
Tuttle played a leading role among California businessmen who encouraged actor Ronald Reagan to pursue the governorship of California in 1966. He articulated his viewpoint by contrasting candidates: "Would you prefer someone who has spent their entire career in politics without real-world job experience or someone who has built businesses from the ground up and created numerous jobs while navigating the private sector independently of political influence? Or would you rather back a candidate supported by accomplished entrepreneurs who understand what it takes to succeed within our economic system?"
Following Reagan's election as governor, Tuttle assisted in vetting individuals for cabinet appointments. He also contributed to Reagan’s presidential campaigns in 1976 and 1980. After Reagan assumed the presidency in 1981, Tuttle and fellow businessman Justin Whitlock Dart met with the President to offer their perspectives on budgetary matters, consistently advocating for substantial reductions: "cut, cut and then cut some more."
Family
His son, Robert Holmes Tuttle, held a position in the White House during President Reagan's administration and subsequently served as the United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom in George W. Bush's second term.
Among his relatives, his grandnephew Jim Click is recognized as one of the foremost automobile dealers in southern Arizona.
Holmes Tuttle was of Chickasaw heritage and was honored with induction into the Chickasaw Hall of Fame in 2017.
Death
In 1989, Tuttle passed away at Cottage Hospital located in Montecito, California at the age of 83. His son reported that his death resulted from complications following a stroke he had experienced several weeks earlier.