Frank J. Dodd

Frank J. "Pat" Dodd (February 4, 1938 – May 14, 2010) was an American businessman and Democratic Party politician who served as President of the New Jersey Senate from 1974 to 1975.

Early life Dodd was born in Orange, New Jersey, in 1938. He was educated at Upsala College and Seton Hall University. He founded Dodd Enterprises, operating two cocktail lounges, a restaurant, and a travel agency, based out of West Orange.

Political career Dodd was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly at the age of 27, serving for two terms, from 1966 to 1970. In the Assembly Dodd served on the Labor Relations, Banking and Insurance, and Public Safety, Defense, and Veteran's Affairs Committees.

The 1981 Democratic primary included a crowded field of 13 candidates, led by U.S. Representative James Florio, U.S. Representative Robert A. Roe, Newark Mayor Kenneth A. Gibson, Senate President Joseph P. Merlino, Attorney General John J. Degnan, and Jersey City Mayor Thomas F. X. Smith. Dodd finished in seventh place with 4 percent of the vote behind Florio (26 percent), Roe (16 percent), Gibson (16 percent), Merlino (11 percent), Degnan (11 percent), and Smith (9 percent).

Career after politics In the fall of 1981, Dodd was selected by governor-elect Thomas Kean and outgoing governor Brendan Byrne to serve as the chairman of the New Jersey Hazardous Waste Siting Commission, tasked with selecting sites for toxic waste incinerators. The commission received heavy public criticism for its recommendation of potential toxic waste sites throughout the state.

In 1989, Kean appointed Dodd to a five-year term on the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. He served until the end of 1993.

Dodd later competed as a sport fisherman, participating in billfish tournaments in Key West and the Turks and Caicos Islands. He resided in Manasquan, New Jersey. He died on May 14, 2010, in Neptune Township, New Jersey.