Marc Veasey: “I rise today to honor a legend in Arlington, Texas, who passed away, the former mayor of Arlington, Elzie Odom. He was…”

“I rise today to honor a legend in Arlington, Texas, who passed away, the former mayor of Arlington, Elzie Odom. He was 96 years old. Mayor Odom was a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Born in east Texas, he moved to Arlington and made his mark in the city very quickly. His journey was a testament to a determination of dignity and faith. He was an elected official in Arlington for 14 years and very active in the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, where he and his wife, Ruby, of 78 years spent most of their time worshipping. He was very instrumental in making sure that we kept General Motors in Arlington. We almost lost the plant back in the 1990s, and it was Elzie's leadership that helped us keep the plant. He kept the Texas Rangers baseball club there as well. He talked about bringing the Olympics to Arlington, and people didn't believe it would happen, but then it got serious consideration, and we were on the short list. This was an incredible man. His daughter, who is on the city council, Barbara Odom-Wesley, said that he taught others that 'service is the price you pay for the space you occupy.' I have to tell you there are so many things that I can say great about Mayor Odom, but this man absolutely loved his family. His grandkids called him Grandee, and he and his wife of 78 years had one of the most beautiful relationships in all of the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area.”