Holmes Tuttle

Holmes Tuttle (1906–June 16, 1989) was a successful California businessman and autodealer, and headed President Ronald Reagan's unofficial "Kitchen Cabinet".cite news|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEFD91230F934A25755C0A96F948260|title=Holmes Tuttle, 83; In 'Kitchen Cabinet' That Aided Reagan|author=Hays, Constance L|accessdate=2008-07-17|date=June 17, 1989|work=The New York Times]

Early life and career

Tuttle was born in Tuttle, Oklahoma (named for his father). He traveled west in 1926, to Los Angeles, aboard a freight train. He was employed as a parts manager at a Ford dealership. He opened his own dealership in 1945, which became known as Holmes Tuttle, Inc. The business was a resounding success and evolved into fourteen dealerships in California and Arizona.

Political involvement

Though he never held public office, Tuttle was very involved in political affairs of the times. His political involvement began in 1952, when he campaigned for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. He later campaigned for Richard Nixon, Barry Goldwater, and Gerald Ford as well. According to his son, Robert Tuttle, Holmes was a delegate to every Republican National Convention from 1960 to 1984.

Tuttle led a group of California businessmen as they encouraged movie actor Ronald Reagan to run for Governor of California in 1966. His reasoning was, "Would you rather vote for a candidate who has spent his life in politics, has never really worked for a living, or created jobs in the private sector while clawing his way to the top and who is beholden to many other politicians for his success in Washington? Or would you rather have a candidate who is backed by very successful capitalists who have created dozens of companies and tens of thousands of jobs, people who know what it takes to attain success within our system?" [cite web|url=http://wais.stanford.edu/Politics/politics_presidentreagan.htm|title=President Reagan|accessdate=2008-07-20|publisher=Stanford University|author=Hilton, Ronald]

Upon Reagan's election, Tuttle assisted in screening people for cabinet positions. He later worked on Reagan's 1976 and 1980 presidential campaigns. When Reagan was sworn in as president in 1981, Tuttle and fellow businessman Justin Dart "sat down with the President and gave our impression of the budget. We keep saying the same thing: cut, cut and then cut some more." [cite news|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,954717-4,00.html|work=Time|accessdate=2008-07-20|date=April 13, 1981|author=Alexander, Charles|title=New Voices for a New Era]

Death

Tuttle died at Cottage Hospital in Montecito, California, aged 83 in 1989. According to his son, Robert, Tuttle died of complications stemming from a stroke he suffered several weeks prior.

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.holmestuttle.com/ Holmes Tuttle, Inc.]