Urban Tigner Holmes Jr. (July 13, 1900 – May 12, 1972) was an American scholar focusing onmedieval literature and Romancephilology.

The son of Commander Urban T. Holmes,United States Navy, Holmes was born inWashington, D.C. In 1916, he enrolled at theU.S. Naval Academy only to withdraw the following year for health reasons. In 1917, he began schooling at theUniversity of Pennsylvania, where he studiedGreek,Russian,Sanskrit, andOld French. After graduating with a Bachelors in 1920, Holmes continued his doctoral studies atHarvard andLa Sorbonne. While at the Sorbonne, Holmes studied under scholars such asJoseph Bédier andMario Roques.

Holmes taught at theUniversity of Western Ontario and theUniversity of Missouri before settling down at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1925. By 1945, he was the Kenan Professor of Romance Philology.

Urban T. Holmes was recognized both nationally and internationally for his scholarship. In 1950, he became a Chevalier de laLégion d'honneur. This was followed by becoming a Member of the Royal Archeological Institute (1961), a fellow of theRoyal Numismatic Society (1961), a fellow of theAmerican Numismatic Society (1962), and a fellow of theRoyal Society of Antiquaries (1967).

Among his most renowned works are hisHistory of Old French Literature (1937) andDaily Living in the Twelfth Century (1952). The publication of his workChrétien, Troyes, and the Grail (1959, co-authored with SisterAmelia Klenke) introduced his very controversial Judeo-ChristianGrail theory.

His sonUrban T. Holmes III (1930–1981) was a prominent Episcopal priest, theologian, and academic during the twentieth century.

• Dean, Ruth J., Grace Frank, William Roach. "Memoirs of Fellows and Corresponding Fellows of the Mediaeval Academy."Speculum 48:3 (1973), 624–625.

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