Mary Jane Odell

Mary Jane Neville Odell (July 28, 1923 – December 16, 2010) was an American journalist, lecturer, and politician. She received multiple awards during her life, and was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1979. In 1980, Odell was appointed Iowa Secretary of State, a position that she held until 1987.

Early life Odell was born in Algona, Iowa, on July 28, 1923, to Eugene and Madge Lewis Neville. She had two brothers, Lewis and Dan.

Odell married Gerald Chinn in 1946. Their son Brad was born on June 30, 1948, and a daughter Chris was born December 1949.

Odell attended Algona High School, where she took part in mixed chorus, glee club, girls' sextet, and cheerleading. Odell was a Republican. She received an honorary doctorate in 1982. In 1988, she received a H.R. Gross Award for Lifetime Contributions to Broadcasting and Public Service.

Later life Odell became a widow in 1966 and she married John Odell in June 1967, later moving to Chicago with him, her two children, and his four children.

She died on December 16, 2010, at 87 years old.