William J. "Bill" Dodd
| Bill Dodd | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Louisiana State Representative from Allen Parish | |
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In office 1940–1948 |
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| Preceded by | David Cole |
| Succeeded by | M.V. Hargrove |
| 42nd Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana | |
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In office May 11, 1948 – May 13, 1952 |
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| Governor | Earl K. Long |
| Preceded by | J. Emile Verret |
| Succeeded by | C. E. "Cap" Barham |
| Louisiana State Auditor (later Comptroller; office is no longer elected.) | |
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In office 1956–1960 |
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| Preceded by | Allison Kolb |
| Succeeded by | Roy R. Theriot |
| Louisiana State Board of Education | |
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In office 1960–1964 |
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| Preceded by | Merle Welsh |
| Succeeded by | V.J. Scogin |
| Louisiana Education Superintendent | |
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In office 1964–1972 |
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| Preceded by | Shelby M. Jackson |
| Succeeded by | Louis J. Michot |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William Joseph Dodd November 25, 1909 Liberty, Liberty County Texas, USA |
| Died | November 16, 1991 (aged 81) Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish Louisiana |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Verone Ford Dodd (1918-2005, married 1939-his death) |
| Children | William Ford Dodd (born 1947) Leonard Bruce Dodd (born 1951) |
| Occupation | Attorney; Politician |
| Religion | Baptist |
William Joseph "Bill" Dodd (November 25, 1909 – November 16, 1991) held five important positions in Louisiana government in the mid-twentieth century, including the offices of state representative, lieutenant governor, state auditor, president and member of the State Board of Education, and state education superintendent, but he never achieved his ultimate goal: the state's powerful Napoleonic-style governorship. Twice Dodd failed to win the pivotal Democratic gubernatorial nomination: 1952 and 1959. To his critics, he was a Long "hatchet man." To his admirers, he never let his defeats sour his optimistic spirit, his patriotism, or his devotion to his adopted home state.
Dodd was born in a logging camp in Liberty, Texas, near Houston, to Daniel David Dodd and the former Nancy J. Pawley. The family relocated to Sabine Parish (parish seat: Many, pronounced MAN NIE) between Shreveport and Lake Charles. He graduated from Zwolle High School in Zwolle in Sabine Parish.
After high school, Dodd played professional baseball for teams in Monroe, Louisiana, and Cody, Wyoming. In Wyoming, one of Dodd's teammates was a future Republican governor and U.S. senator, Milward L. Simpson. While he was in Cody, Dodd became a friend of the Simpson family and often babysat the two Simpson sons, Pete Simpson and Alan K. Simpson, both of whom eventually served in the Wyoming House of Representatives. Alan Simpson also served from 1979 to 1997 as a Republican U.S. senator from Wyoming. For years afterwards, Dodd maintained contact with the Simpson family. Dodd, who was white, was said, in his own words, to resemble the popular black boxer Joe Louis. But Dodd was playing baseball, not boxing.
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Wikipedia