Gus Douglass

Gus R. Douglass (February 22, 1927 – March 19, 2015) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, who served as Agriculture Commissioner of West Virginia for 44 years. First elected to that post in 1964, he served from 1965 to 1989, when he left office having run unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for Governor, and again from 1993 to 2013.

Early life Douglass was born in Mason County in 1927 and raised in Grimms Landing, West Virginia. He served as state and national president of the Future Farmers of America (FFA) as the first president of the FFA to hail from West Virginia, and later was the inaugural president of the National FFA Alumni Association. He is also a 4-H All-Star. Douglas holds a bachelor's degree and an honorary Doctor of Sciences from West Virginia University and an honorary Doctor of Laws from West Virginia State University. Prior to beginning work for the Department of Agriculture, Douglass operated a farm equipment and motor truck dealership.

Career Douglass, then a farmer in Mason County, was recruited to the position of Assistant Commissioner in the West Virginia Department of Agriculture by then-Commissioner John T. Johnson in 1957. In his last term, he successfully acquired funding from the West Virginia Legislature for a cold storage facility near Ripley which is used to store food for the state's schools and its donated foods program, and could also be used for disaster preparation.

Retirement Douglass announced on May 17, 2011 that he would not seek re-election in 2012, after colleagues in the Department of Agriculture expressed an interest in the position of Commissioner. Douglass was succeeded in 2013 by Walt Helmick. The audit's findings were turned over to federal prosecutors who, as of March 2015, have taken no action; and the loan program was restructured under Helmick.

Personal life Douglass ran a 540-acre farm which specialized in beef cattle and grain production with his son, Tom. He and his wife, Anna Lee, had four children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. His funeral was held on March 22, 2015. He is survived by his four children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Gus R. Douglass – 72,016 (27.90%) Charles E. Jenkins – 46,486 (18.01%) Roscoe Beall – 38,087 (14.76%) Carroll R. Hawkins – 34,415 (13.33%) O. Roy Parker – 27,244 (10.56%) V. L. Martin – 27,127 (10.51%) J. P. (Joe) Muck – 12,715 (4.93%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1964 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 451,850 (62.01%) Nicholas M. Homes, Republican Party – 276,834 (37.99%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1968 Gus R. Douglass – 128,774 (52.70%) Charles E. Jenkins – 115,562 (47.30%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1968 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 367,949 (53.89%) Edward T. White, Republican Party – 314,882 (46.11%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1972 Gus R. Douglass – 179,130 (64.06%) Charles Jenkins – 100,480 (35.94%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1972 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 452,829 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1976 Gus R. Douglass – 198,803 (63.70%) Charles E. Jenkins – 113,295 (36.30%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1976 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 508,998 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1980 Gus R. Douglass – 183,711 (68.21%) Charles E. Jenkins – 85,626 (31.79%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1980 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 442,215 (67.37%) Lionel L. Smith, Republican Party – 214,228 (32.63%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1984 Gus R. Douglass – 227,715 (69.84%) Charles E. Jenkins – 98,326 (30.16%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1984 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 447,947 (67.46%) Glenn M. Smith, Jr., Republican Party – 216,100 (32.54%)

Governor of West Virginia, Democratic primary, 1988 Gaston Caperton – 132,435 (37.96%) Clyde See – 94,364 (27.05%) Mario J. Palumbo – 51,722 (14.84%) Gus R. Douglass – 48,748 (13.97%) Dan Tonkovich – 14,916 (4.28%) Larry Harless – 5,217 (1.50%) Paul Nuchims – 1,484 (0.43%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1992 Gus R. Douglass – 195,494 (70.02%) Frederick L. Parker – 50,443 (18.07%) Jeffrey K. Silverman – 33,253 (11.91%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1992 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 413,869 (70.64%) Steven C. Teufel, Republican Party – 172,060 (29.37%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1996 Gus R. Douglass – 252,246 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1996 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 401,961 (72.08%) Paul Nuchims, Republican Party – 155,673 (27.92%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 2000 Gus R. Douglass – 224,800 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2000 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 485,648 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 2004 Gus R. Douglass – 217,069 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2004 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 437,881 (63.34%) Andrew Yost, Republican Party – 253,402 (36.66%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 2008 Gus R. Douglass – 193,766 (63.08%) Oscar Wayne Casto – 113,400 (36.92%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2008 Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 352,242 (53.07%) James Michael Teets, Republican Party – 311,496 (46.93%)