Professor Has Two Loves: History and Heavy Metal

Dr. Stephanie Holyfield

By John Wolgamot (Whetstone Staff Writer)

Dr. Stephanie Holyfield knew what she wanted to do for a living when she first sat down in her World Civilization class at Milligan College in Tennessee.

“My professor gave a lecture about ancient Greece,” said Holyfield, 44, who will be the only full-time professor in the History program this fall. “He spoke with such passion, not only for education, but for the pursuit of history.”

Her office is lined with books about Abraham Lincoln, World War II, as well as complete works of Theodore Roosevelt.

“They were a gift to me from my mentor,” she said.

While working on her PhD in American History at University of Delaware, Holyfield met her mentor, Lee Gennings, who he taught her to be passionate about her work.

“I worked on a variety of projects for him over a period of about eight years,” Holyfield said. “I built a database of illnesses, injuries, death statistics, and treatments for various ailments at Fort Delaware, Civil War prison, so it was very interesting work.”

Holyfield attended high school in Big Stone Gap, Va.

“I loved all of my history and English classes,” Holyfield said. “But I hated Math it was unadulterated torture.”

She did not do athletics, but she sang in chorus.

“Not a terribly talented singer, either,” she said. “I also did stage crew for the school plays.”

Holyfield attended James Madison University in Harrisburg, Va., where she earned her Master’s in American History.

“I got married for the first time at 20 and had my daughter, Valarie, at the age of 23,” she said.

She got divorced when she started her Master’s program.

She later married Jim Carpenter, who is a marketer.

“I hardly have time for anything besides work,” Holyfield said, “ but I like to swim.”

She also constantly reads, either historical archives or science fiction novels.

“I also love to cook,” she said.

She good at it, she said, and corn bread is her specialty.

“My husband is Italian so between the two of us there is always something good on the table,” she said.

Holyfield is a “huge metal head.”

“I really like Metallica, Rob Zombie, and Slayer,” she said. “No Leaf Clover by Metallica was my dissertation theme song. It really got me pumped up.”

Getting her PhD was a great relief, she said.

“Finishing my PhD and not having a dissertation hanging over my head allowed me some actual free time,” she said. “I got to travel a little to Barcelona, and northern Italy.”

Colleague Frank Gregory said Holyfield is a team player.

“From the first day she started working here, Dr. Holyfield was approachable, knowledgeable, and willing to work on a team,” he said. “She carries her own weight and some in the history department.”

Student Lou Morris said he likes Holyfield.

“She really gets the class involved,” he said. “Especially about controversial topics, and that helps you understand people and their opinions better.”