Bob Odom

Robert Fulton "Bob" Odom, Jr.
Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry
In office March 10, 1980 – January 14, 2008
Preceded by	Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier
Succeeded by	Michael G. Strain
Personal details
Born	(1935-07-20) July 20, 1935 Haynesville, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Millie Randolph Odom
Children	Robert, III, and Ashley
Occupation	Farmer; consultant
Religion	Baptist

Robert Fulton Odom, Jr., known as Bob Odom (born July 20, 1935), is the Democrat former Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, who served from 1980 to 2008. Now in the private sector, Odom operates a consulting company to work with farmers on a statewide and national basis. He offers input on farm legislation before the United States Congress. He and his family reside in Zachary in East Baton Rouge Parish.

Background

Odom grew up on a cotton and dairy farm of some one thousand acres in Haynesville, a small town in rural Claiborne Parish near the Arkansas state line. He still owns a 600-acre (2.4 km²) farm in Claiborne Parish.

Odom procured a Bachelor of Science degree from Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond east of Baton Rouge. In 1960, he was first employed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, also called the Department of Agriculture, Forestry, and Immigration at that time. Prior to his election as commissioner, Odom became the chief of the pesticide division, executive assistant to then Commissioner Dave L. Pearce and director of technical services.

Odom served in the United States Marines and was stationed as a company commander in Okinawa, Japan. He graduated from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College and is a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps Reserve. He serves on various boards and commissions, such as the Louisiana Cattleman's Association, East Baton Rouge Parish and Louisiana Farm Bureau, the World Trade Center of New Orleans, and Louisiana Environmental Health Association.

Odom is married to the former Millie Randolph. They have a son, Robert Odom, III, who was a football linebacker for McNeese State University in Lake Charles. The Odoms also have a daughter, Ashley, and four grandchildren. Odom is a member of the First Baptist Church of Zachary. In his leisure, Odom enjoys hunting, fishing, and woodworking.

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry

Odom first ran as a reformer for Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry in 1979 and easily unseated fellow Democrat Gil Dozier. This was the same general election in which Republican gubernatorial candidate David C. Treen narrowly defeated the Democrat Louis J. Lambert, Jr., of Baton Rouge. Odom took office in 1980. Thereafter, he rarely attracted serious opposition, as he consolidated his hold on the agriculture department. He won re-election in 1983, 1987, 1991, 1995, 1999 and 2003. In the 1991 contest, he defeated Republican Don Johnson and fellow Democrat Jack Keahey of Columbia, thereafter a member and president of the Tensas Basin Levee District. Odom is hence one of the longest-serving elected officials in Louisiana.

Controversy

In the past several years, however, Odom encountered much controversy in a series of personal allegations which erupted in connection with his duties as commissioner. Odom has fought criminal corruption charges since August 2002, when he was indicted on twenty-one counts, including bribery and money laundering. A state judge dismissed all remaining charges in 2007, but prosecutors have appealed that ruling and asked that the case be reinstated. Odom even quarreled with Gov ernor Kathleen Blanco and state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy, a Democrat-turned-Republican who was unopposed in the 2007 primary. Like Odom, Dozier was also engulfed in scandal. So was Dozier's predecessor, fellow Democrat Dave Pearce, who served from 1952–1956, and again from 1960-1976. Ironically, Odom had been a key aide to Pearce, and both were born in Claiborne Parish. Pearce ran unsuccessfully in the 1979 primary against both Dozier and Odom.

Even after leaving office, Odom's legacy remains in controversy. One of his pet projects as head of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry was the creation of a green energy industry in Louisiana. Odom used taxpayer funhds to encourage the production of ethanol from sugar cane syrup, rather than corn. During his final term Odom convinced the state legislature to provide the approval and funds to build the Lacassine sugar mill in Jefferson Davis Parish near Lake Charles, at a cost of $76.9 million dollars. The mill was built by state workers. The facility was leased and supposed to be operated by Lake Charles, LLC with loans of $70.6 million from the state and another $6.3 million from private sources. A majority of the stock of Lake Charles, LLC is owned by Louisiana Green Fuels, a company that is in turn held by two brothers from Colombia. The plant has never produced a single drop of ethanol, and the machinery to process the sugar cane is still unassembled at the location.

On March 16, 2012, the current commissioner, Republican Michael G. Strain, announced that Lake Charles, LLC had defaulted on both loans and that he would be urging the Louisiana Agricultural Finance Authority to foreclose on the operation. A similar project to be located near Bunkie, Louisiana, was rejected by the legislature. Criticism of these projects was one of the main campaign points in Strain's successful election bid against Odom in 2007.

2007 election

Odom ran for an eight consecutive four-year term in 2007 but lost to Michael Strain, a veterinarian, a dairy farmer and an outgoing member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from St. Tammany Parish in the New Orleans suburbs.

In the October 20, nonpartisan blanket primary, Odom led Strain, 505,466 (41 percent) to 494,726 (40 percent). Two other candidates, Republicans Wayne Carter, a conservative member of the East Baton Rouge Parish Metro council from Odom's own Zachary, and Don Johnson, a farmer from Transylvania in East Carroll Parish, trailed with 152,872 (13 percent) and 69,469 (6 percent), respectively. The Republican vote hence totaled 59 percent. Perennial candidate Johnson had also run against Odom in 1987, 1991, 1995 and 2003.

Odom attributed his weaker-than-usual showing to the failure of many African American voters, who had backed him in the past by large margins, to cast ballots in the primary.

Less than a week later, Odom announced that he would not contest the general election. Therefore, Strain was declared the winner of the election assume office early in 2008.

Agricultural awards

Odom has won a plethora of awards in agriculture. In 1970, United States Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin cited Odom for "outstanding service" to agriculture. In 1976, the Louisiana State Legislature by concurrent resolution commended Odom for his services to the department. In 1982, he was awarded the designation of "Honorary American Farmer" by the Future Farmers of America. In 1995, the year of his fourth-term reelection, Odom was named "Outstanding Agriculture Commissioner of the Year" by the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which represents nearly six hundred biotechnology companies and academic institutions. In 1996, Odom received the "Man of the Year" award from Progressive Farmer magazine.

When Odom announced his exit from the general election campaign, Ray Young, a farmer and agriculture consultant from Wisner in Franklin Parish in northeastern Louisiana, introduced him at an event by saying, "Bob Odom is the best Agriculture and Forestry commissioner Louisiana has ever had."

Odom's supporters held a retirement celebration in Baton Rouge in his honor on November 29, 2007. Interested persons were urged to contribute to the "Bob Odom Retirement Fund". Odom had a campaign debt at the time of approximately $125,000. Conservative radio talk show host Moon Griffon of Monroe told listeners on November 21, 2007, that Odom will receive a retirement check of some $85,000 per year from the State of Louisiana.

In 2008, Odom was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.

Electoral history

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 1987

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 24, 1987

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	993,869 (73%)	Elected
Don Johnson	Republican	190,502 (14%)	Defeated
Others	n/a	168,301 (13%)	Defeated

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 1991

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 19, 1991

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	824,167 (60%)	Elected
Don Johnson	Republican	199,688 (15%)	Defeated
Others	n/a	353,078 (25%)	Defeated

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 1995

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 21, 1995

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	980,909 (74%)	Elected
Don Johnson	Republican	272,349 (21%)	Defeated
Buster Fresina	Democratic	71,829 (5%)	Defeated

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 1999

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 23, 1999

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	Unopposed	Elected

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 2003

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 4, 2003

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	822,682 (66%)	Elected
Don Johnson	Republican	430,856 (34%)	Defeated

Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry, 2007

Threshold > 50%

First ballot, October 20, 2007

Candidate	Affiliation	Support	Outcome
Bob Odom	Democratic	505,504 (41%)	Runoff
Mike Strain	Republican	494,760 (40%)	Runoff
Wayne Carter	Republican	152,893 (13%)	Defeated
Don Johnson	Republican	69,470 (6%)	Defeated

References

Political offices
Preceded by Gilbert L. "Gil" Dozier (D)	Commissioner of Agriculture & Forestry Robert Fulton "Bob" Odom (D) 1980–2008	Succeeded by Michael Gene Strain (R)