Noel Holmes Worked on Capitol Hill Facts about Elizabeth Holmes' Mother

Noel Holmes has always been a supportive mother to her daughter, Elizabeth Holmes. Right off the bat, Noel wanted Elizabeth to be successful and pushed her to do her best. Recently, Elizabeth faced a tumultuous time, yet her mother held her hand through it all.

Noel Holmes, the mother of the former CEO of Theranos, a now-defunct health technology company, is a doting mother to her daughter and was spotted accompanying Elizabeth to her trial in 2022.

In one of the photos, Noel held on to her daughter's hands as they walked towards the federal court in San Jose, California, where she was convicted of fraud. In the second one, Elizabeth stood between her mother and father, Christian Holmes IV.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos Inc., arrives at federal court with her partner Billy Evans, right, and her mother Noel Holmes, left, in San Jose, California, US, on Friday, March 17, 2023 | Source: Getty Images

According to Richard Fuisz, a psychiatrist who has known Elizabeth since childhood, Noel often pushed her daughter to be the best she could be, including making her learn Mandarin during summers.

Noel Holmes' Father Worked for the Pentagon

While every parent desires their child to do well in life, Noel was predisposed to a successful life from the start. She grew up in an affluent family with a father who was a high-ranking Pentagon official in the early 70s.

And while little is known of her ancestry, her roots can be traced back to the Maréchal Davout, a top field general of Napoleon's army.

Elizabeth Holmes (C) arrives at federal court with her mother Noel Holmes (L) and father Christian Holmes on September 01, 2022 in San Jose, California. | Source: Getty Images

She grew up with a sister named Elizabeth, and they loved spending time together, a tradition that stayed on even after the sisters married and had children.

During the summers, Noel would head down to her sister's home in Boca Raton, Florida, so her children Elizabeth and Christian could spend time with their cousin David.

According to John Carreyrou's book "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup," the cousins would sleep on a foam mattress on the condo floor and dash to the beach for a morning swim.

Elizabeth Holmes, founder and chief executive officer of Theranos Inc., left, and her brother Christian Holmes at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, April 28, 2015. | Source: Getty Images

Noel Holmes' Career and Family

Besides being a loving mother to her children, Noel was also a career woman. For a decade or so, she worked as a congressional committee staffer on Capitol Hill, only quitting after she became a mom.

Still, Capitol Hill holds a lot of sentimental value for her, as it was while working there that she met her husband, Christian Holmes IV.

Christian dedicated most of his adult life to the service of the people and worked with disaster relief in Africa, international development in China, and even environmental work in the USA.

Former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes hugs her father Christian Holmes IV after returning to her hotel following a hearing at the Robert E. Peckham U.S. Courthouse on March 17, 2023 in San Jose, California. | Source: Getty Images

Noel and Christian welcomed their first child, daughter Elizabeth in 1984 and had their son Christian two years later.

Noel Holmes Is a Supportive & Reportedly Sometimes Strict Mother

Noel has always supported her daughter's dreams, and when Elizabeth returned home from Singapore, where she worked in a lab, Noel says she saw her daughter spend days in front of her computer writing a patent application.

She would bring her daughter food and later drive her from Houston to Stanford. And when Elizabeth told her parents that she wanted to drop out of college (like Robert Conrad did) to start a business, they gave her the money they'd saved for her education, despite not understanding the details of the business well.

Former Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes (L) walks with her mother Noel Holmes (R) on September 17, 2021 in San Jose, California. | Source: Getty Images

Noel saw how hard her daughter worked and hoped Elizabeth would take time to herself. And even though she supported her daughter's endeavors, she was equally strict with her.

According to Fuisz, Noel tried pushing Elizabeth to become successful like him, and despite his attempts at telling Noel to let her child be, he says she would not hear any of it. She also reportedly insisted on Elizabeth studying in China despite being unhappy there.

In 2022, Elizabeth faced the law, and Noel remained supportive of her daughter. She asked the court to let her do time outside of jail "where she could continue to invent and work to contribute to our society."

Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos Inc., arrives at federal court with her mother Noel Holmes, left, in San Jose, California, US, on Friday, March 17, 2023. | Source: Getty Images

She pleaded with the court to let her daughter remain among her friends, family, and people who loved and cared for her. She added:

"As a parent, I beg you to see her goodness, her unique circumstances, and her promise."

Even as Elizabeth endures one of the most challenging moments of her life, she can always count on her mother's support.

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