Joseph Austin Holmes (January 23, 1859 – July 13, 1915) was a geologist and occupational safety and health pioneer, best known as the first director of the U.S. Bureau of Mines.

[1] In 1881, Holmes was appointed as professor of geology and natural history at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

[2] He was also appointed to a congressional committee involved in investigating better ways to use domestically produced fuels and materials.

[3] Impressed by his work at the World's Fair, President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Holmes as chief of the U.S. Geological Survey laboratories in 1904.

In 1907, he was appointed as chief of the new technological branch of the U.S. Geological Survey, the division in charge of investigating mine accidents.

[1][2] He organized the Explosives and Electrical Sections of the Bureau to improve safety in mines and equipped railroad cars as movable stations used to train miners in first aid and rescue operations.