Born in Mexico, New York, Holt received an Artium Baccalaureus degree from Yale University in 1866, where he was a member of Skull and Bones,[1] and a Bachelor of Laws from Columbia Law School in 1869.

In 1871, he married Mary Louisa Bowen, daughter of businessman Henry Chandler Bowen; the couple had five children, including Hamilton, a magazine editor and college president.

[2] On March 2, 1903, Holt was nominated by President Theodore Roosevelt to a new seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York created by 32 Stat.

He was confirmed by the United States Senate on March 3, 1903, and received his commission the same day.

[2] Holt died of influenza in Nice, France on January 26, 1931.