Poa« 30—Supplom»nt to Tho Bruniwick Boocon. Juno. I9B7
Attorney Has Colorful Past, Giant Dreams For Future
BY ^!AaJ0RIE MEGIVERN
Dan PoUitt can’t be accused of
timidit)' in pursuing his career or in
charting its future. And he niay bring
a measure of glory to Brunswick
County in the process.
The 8>year-old graduate of Cornell
law school lives in Chapei Kill, where
he has taught in the TJNC law school
for 30 years. But he also owns an
oceanfront home at Holden Beach
sees the Brunswick beaches as an at
traction for students of an iiuiovative
law school he wants to establish in
this area.
PoUitt’s ideas have alwa)^ cut
against the grain, beginning with his
choice of public interest law as his
specialt>', something most aspiring
attorneys shun as unprofitable and
controversial.
Why deal with individual liberties
and often indigent diems? PoUitt
replies wiUi a twinkle, "As the twig is
bent” Tills means his family history
is one of social concerns. “Both my
grandfathers were preachers, and
my parents were Unitarians and
members of the American Ovil
Liberties Union," he said.
He has dealt mostly with civil liber
ties and spent five years as law derk
for Joe Rowe in Washington during
the McCarthy era. "We took loyalty
cases, so I helped defend people like
Arthur Miller and Lillian Heilman,"
he said.
Holden Beach
Regulations
The Ur«m of Holden Beach prehibiti the
following:
•CUznbtac or opentioc motor wWck oo or
nnwring refetoUoo from dnots;
•Motor vehicloi aod wlnd-powored
TcUdes 00 the atraod;
•Open flits:
•UUcrinf oo the atraod, modway or
private property;
or offemivc noise, Indodiog music,
profanity or obscene Uaguace;
•Peta not on a leash;
•Sorfboards on the strand or In the water
within SM feet of any rishinc pier;
•Use of skateboards on Ocean Bird, or the
enof e or bhoKc rarapa;
•Dlscbarct of Brearros;
•Hontlnc, wilh or without dofa;
•Use of paths throodh the kuies or creas
ing over private property.
Visitors are urged to:
•Obey speed UmHs;
•Fish with nets In accordance with reguU-
tieos. available at the Town lUO;
•Uaa deaigruted pobUc or private beach
accessways only;
•Park off the pavement In onpeted areas
only:
•Cook on the beach only In containers
made for the porpooe. such as
cookers-
_ . . - ^HOTO IV MAtiOeK AACOViaN
DAN POLUTT chats wilh a faculty member at UNC-W where be recently
lectured. '
Holden Beach
Information
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PolUtt’s personal encounter with
the playwright, Heilman, is mention
ed in her bod:, Sesuadre! Tiise in
which she narrates her quesUoning
by the Un-American Activities Com
mittee in the early 50s.
“Joe Rowe and I were with her
before the committee the day her
case was dismissed," PoUitt relates,
“and when we left he told me to take
her somewhere for a drink and he'd
join us later. We had a martini, then
another one. and at that point, I
realized I had no money, and there
was no sign of Joe."
He laughed heartUy, remembering
his panic as a green law clerk. “I
decided the thing to do was order
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And he served as special consul
tant to the chairman of the federal
labor board in 1961, then was consul
tant to congressional committees. "I
actuaUy helped make laws, par-
(SccPOLLITT, Page32)
another drink and hope something
would turn up."
Something ««h a. ho Heliman
were sipping the third martini,
AveriU Harriman approached them
and sat down to chat “I excused
myself to go to the men’s room, then
sUpped out the back door.” PoUitt
said, “I thought Harriman could pick
up the tab.”
Alter this sUnt wilh Rowe, PoUitt
began his teaching career that in
cluded Arkansas, Oregon, Virginia.
Georgetown University and Duke.
But he also represented WUbur
Hobby in 1985 in a Supreme Court
case based on the question of aU
white grand jury foremen.
nOJAUVlA
Holden Beach is the combination of two land masses,
separated by an inlet, that were filled in by Hurricane Hazel in
1954. The portion from the east end to the pier was known as
Holden Beach until incorpioration in 1969, when (he west end,
including Robinson's and Colonial Beaches, was included.
The pre-Hazel beach had been a land grant, given to Ben
jamin Holden by the King of England in 1756, and it passed
thereafter to his son Job. grand^ri John, and great-grandson
John. It was then divided among John’s six children, one of
whom was Luther, father of John Holden, now living on the
beach and father of realtor/developer Alan Holden.
Development was slow, until tourism began to be a factor In
-American Bfo after World War II.
The first bridge was built across a creek to the mainland in ^
1925, but consltucUon of the Iniracoastal Waterway in the 40s
eliminated it. Ferry service cormected the Island and the
mainland till 1954 when a tumbridge was built. In 1986 a curv
ing hlghrise replaced the old bridge.
Holden Beach now has a permanent population of 342 and
1,587 housing units.
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