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Odom was elected to serve on the [[West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District|Orange school district]] board in May, 1965, making him the first African-American to be elected as a city official in Orange County. During his tenure, Orange schools were combined and [[Desegregation in the United States|desegregated]]. The Orange school district was abolished in 1966 (Odom helped with election)
Odom was elected to serve on the [[West Orange-Cove Consolidated Independent School District|Orange school district]] board in May, 1965, making him the first African-American to be elected as a city official in Orange County. During his tenure, Orange schools were combined and [[Desegregation in the United States|desegregated]]. The Orange school district was abolished in 1966 (Odom helped with election)

Odom retired from the Postal Service in 1987.<ref name=":1" />


== Arlington City Council ==
== Arlington City Council ==
Odom won the run-off election for Place 4 on May 19, 1990. He was the first African-American to be elected onto the Arlington City Council.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_archive/2017_archived_news/may_2017/20_year_elzie_odom_reflects_on_his_arlington_dream|title=20 YEARS AFTER BEING ELECTED, FORMER MAYOR ELZIE ODOM REFLECTS ON HIS ARLINGTON DREAM|last=Office of Communication|first=|date=May 18, 2017|website=Arlington|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> While he was a member of the city council, he worked on transportation, mobility, and redistricting issues facing Arlington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlingtontx.gov/residents/about_arlington/history_of_arlington/hall_of_mayors/elzie_odom|title=ELZIE ODOM|last=City of Arlington|first=|date=|website=Arlington|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> Odom and the city council increased minority representation on Arlington's boards and commissions, mirroring the city's population. In 1990, only 2 members of city boards and commissions were [[Person of color|People of Color]]. By 1996, 22% of members of the boards and commissions were People of Color.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Garcia|first=Eric|url=|title=City panels reflect minority numbers - Report shows that council's appointees are about proportionate to city's population - members say they want to increase minority representation|date=April 24, 1996|work=Arlington Morning News|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref> The council successfully kept the General Motor's Automobile Assembly Plant in Arlington.
In 1989, Odom ran for city council against incumbent Theron Brooks.<ref>{{Cite news|last=|first=|url=|title=Black History Month|date=February 16, 1993|work=Fort Worth Star-Telegram|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref> He ran again the next election cycle and won the run-off election for Place 4 on May 19, 1990. He was the first African-American to be elected onto the Arlington City Council.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlingtontx.gov/news/my_arlington_t_x/news_archive/2017_archived_news/may_2017/20_year_elzie_odom_reflects_on_his_arlington_dream|title=20 YEARS AFTER BEING ELECTED, FORMER MAYOR ELZIE ODOM REFLECTS ON HIS ARLINGTON DREAM|last=Office of Communication|first=|date=May 18, 2017|website=Arlington|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> While he was a member of the city council, he worked on transportation, mobility, and redistricting issues facing Arlington.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.arlingtontx.gov/residents/about_arlington/history_of_arlington/hall_of_mayors/elzie_odom|title=ELZIE ODOM|last=City of Arlington|first=|date=|website=Arlington|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> Odom and the city council increased minority representation on Arlington's boards and commissions, mirroring the city's population. In 1990, only 2 members of city boards and commissions were [[Person of color|People of Color]]. By 1996, 22% of members of the boards and commissions were People of Color.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Garcia|first=Eric|url=|title=City panels reflect minority numbers - Report shows that council's appointees are about proportionate to city's population - members say they want to increase minority representation|date=April 24, 1996|work=Arlington Morning News|access-date=|url-status=live}}</ref> The council successfully kept the General Motor's Automobile Assembly Plant in Arlington.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Worcester|first=Lea|title=Legendary Locals of Arlington, Texas|last2=Barker|first2=Evelyn|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|year=2013|isbn=978-1-4671-0058-8|location=|pages=29}}</ref>


== Arlington Mayor ==
== Arlington Mayor ==

Revision as of 22:41, 7 March 2020

Elzie Odom

Elzie Odom is an American politician who served as an Arlington City Councilman from 1990 to 1997, and Mayor of Arlington, Texas from 1997 to 2003.

Early Life and Career

Elzie Odom
24th Mayor of Arlington, Texas
In office
May 6, 1997 – May 3, 2003
Preceded byRichard Greene
Succeeded byRobert Cluck
Personal details
Born
Elzie Delano Odom

(1929-05-10) May 10, 1929 (age 95)
Shankleville, Texas, U.S.
SpouseRuby Lee Truvillion

Elzie Odom was born on May 10, 1929, in Newton County, Texas. Odom was raised in the Freedom Colony of Shankleville, Texas, which was established by his ancestors, James 'Jim' and Winnie Shankle. The Odom family were subsistence farmers, raising cows, chickens, and pigs and growing crops for food. Odom's father worked as a carpenter and community undertaker, and his mother maintained a small general store across the street from their family home. Both parents later served in various positions at their local church, Mount Hope Baptist Church. Odom was the second youngest of eight siblings.

Odom met his wife, Ruby Truvillion, while he was a junior in High School. Ruby is the daughter of Reverend Henry Truvillion and O'Neal Bluitt. After graduating from Burkeville Colored High School[1], Odom attended Prairie View College for one year before leaving school to be a carpentry apprentice under his father. Elzie and Ruby were married in July 1947. They have two children, Elzie Odom, Jr[2]. and Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley.[3]

In 1950, the family moved to Orange, Texas in pursuit of greater employment opportunities. In 1950, Odom became a US Postal Service Letter Carrier[4] in Orange, and earned supplemental income through sales jobs. Ruby was hired to work at the office of a local Black dentist, and became a Registered Radiologic Technologist. The Odoms were active in their community, helping to establish a kindergarten and pre-school for Black children and participating in the PTA. The Odoms were active members of the NAACP, and in 1956-1957 they attended and held secret meetings in response to state persecution of the NAACP.[5]

Odom was elected to serve on the Orange school district board in May, 1965, making him the first African-American to be elected as a city official in Orange County. During his tenure, Orange schools were combined and desegregated. The Orange school district was abolished in 1966 (Odom helped with election)

Odom retired from the Postal Service in 1987.[6]

Arlington City Council

In 1989, Odom ran for city council against incumbent Theron Brooks.[7] He ran again the next election cycle and won the run-off election for Place 4 on May 19, 1990. He was the first African-American to be elected onto the Arlington City Council.[6] While he was a member of the city council, he worked on transportation, mobility, and redistricting issues facing Arlington.[8] Odom and the city council increased minority representation on Arlington's boards and commissions, mirroring the city's population. In 1990, only 2 members of city boards and commissions were People of Color. By 1996, 22% of members of the boards and commissions were People of Color.[9] The council successfully kept the General Motor's Automobile Assembly Plant in Arlington.[10]

Arlington Mayor

Mayor Richard Greene had served in office for a decade when he announced that he would not be seeking reelection in 1997. Odom did not immediately seek to run for [11]

In March, 1997, Odom announced his plans to run for office as Mayor of Arlington. He stated that his reason for running was: "because I care for my family, my city, and its people, I am running for Mayor of the greatest city in the world. I plan to run a clean and positive neighbor-to-neighbor campaign with a simple theme: Getting Results For Arlington." Odom outlined a 10-point plan for his future administration, which included improving traffic and mobility, reducing crime, encouraging public-private partnerships, addressing unnecessary spending, and economic development.[12] Odom said the following

"


Odom won the election with 8,752 votes. His closest challenger was Laura Hightower, who won 7,060 votes.[4] He and his top challenger, Hightower, received 50.19% and 40.49% of the votes, respectively.[13] City officials had estimated a turnout rate of 7.4%, but the rate had risen to 10%.[14]

  1. ^ "Odom Relies on Cooperative coalition-Building Politics". Arlington Morning News. April 20, 1997.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church. "Rev. Elzie D. Odom, Jr., Senior Pastor". Pleasant Mound United Methodist Church. Retrieved 26 Oct 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  3. ^ Arlington City Hall. "COUNCIL MEMBER DR. BARBARA ODOM-WESLEY DISTRICT 8". Arlington Texas Government. Retrieved 26 Oct 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. ^ a b "City of Arlington Elects First Black Mayor". The Black Economic Times, Fort Worth/Arlington. May 1997.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  5. ^ "Civil Rights Movement History: 1956". Civil Rights Movement Archive. Retrieved 26 Oct 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ^ a b Office of Communication (May 18, 2017). "20 YEARS AFTER BEING ELECTED, FORMER MAYOR ELZIE ODOM REFLECTS ON HIS ARLINGTON DREAM". Arlington.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ^ "Black History Month". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. February 16, 1993.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ City of Arlington. "ELZIE ODOM". Arlington.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ Garcia, Eric (April 24, 1996). "City panels reflect minority numbers - Report shows that council's appointees are about proportionate to city's population - members say they want to increase minority representation". Arlington Morning News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Worcester, Lea; Barker, Evelyn (2013). Legendary Locals of Arlington, Texas. Arcadia Publishing. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4671-0058-8.
  11. ^ Doclar, Mary (May 11, 1997). "Accessible and Approachable". Fort Worth Star-Telegram, The Weekly Review.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  12. ^ "Council member Odom Runs for Mayor of Arlington". La Vida News: The Black Voice. March 26, 1997.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  13. ^ Lee, Renee C. (May 11, 1997). "It's Odom's Character, Supporters Say". Arlington Star-Telegram.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ "10-percent Turnout Highest in a Decade". Arlington Morning News. May 4, 1997.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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