Gus R. Douglass (February 22, 1927 – March 19, 2015) was an American politician and member of theDemocratic Party, who served as Agriculture Commissioner of West Virginia for 44 years.^[1] 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.^[2] He was the longest-serving Agriculture Commissioner in US history.^[2][3]

Gus R. Douglass
Douglass in September 2008
West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture
In office 1993–2013
Governor	Gaston Caperton,Cecil H. Underwood,Bob Wise,Joe Manchin,Earl Ray Tomblin
Preceded by	Cleve Benedict
Succeeded by	Walt Helmick
In office 1965–1989
Governor	Hulett C. Smith,Arch A. Moore, Jr.,Jay Rockefeller
Preceded by	John T. Johnson
Succeeded by	Cleve Benedict
Personal details
Born	(1927-02-22)February 22, 1927 Mason County,West Virginia, U.S.
Died	March 19, 2015(2015-03-19) (aged 88) Mason County,West Virginia, U.S.
Political party	Democratic Party
Spouse	Anna Lee Douglass
Alma mater	West Virginia University

Douglass was born in Mason County in 1927^[4] and raised inGrimms Landing, West Virginia. He served as state and national president of theFuture 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 a4-H All-Star. Douglas holds abachelor's degree and anhonorary Doctor of Sciences fromWest Virginia University and an honoraryDoctor of Laws fromWest Virginia State University. Prior to beginning work for the Department of Agriculture, Douglass operated a farm equipment and motor truck dealership.^[5]

Douglass, then a farmer inMason County, was recruited to the position of Assistant Commissioner in theWest Virginia Department of Agriculture by then-CommissionerJohn T. Johnson in 1957.^[3] He went on to serve as Commissioner in his own right for six terms between 1965 and 1989, and five more between 1993 and 2013. He unsuccessfully ran forGovernor of West Virginia in1988.^[6]

Douglass was re-elected in 2008 overRepublican nominee J. Michael Teets, having campaigned on his record of having established programs for meat inspection, food safety and animal health, and calling for technology and security measures including a mobilelaboratory able to identifyviruses more quickly.^[3][7] In his last term, he successfully acquired funding from theWest Virginia Legislature for acold storage facility nearRipley which is used to store food for the state's schools and its donated foods program, and could also be used for disaster preparation.^[3]

During his tenure as Agriculture Commissioner, Douglass served as president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture and the Southern United States Trade Association; and chair of the Southern Regional Committee for Food and Agriculture and theUnited States Secretary of Agriculture's Advisory Committee on Foreign Animal and Poultry Diseases.^[3] He also testified before theUnited States Congress multiple times on matters relating to farming.^[6]

When he retired Douglass had worked at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture for more than half of its then 101-year history. Over the period the department's budget grew from less than $1 million to more than $55 million.^[8]

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.^[3] At the press conference at which he announced his retirement, he described his electoral history as "truly humbling."^[9] Douglass was succeeded in 2013 byWalt Helmick.^[1]

In 2014 an audit by theWest Virginia Legislature found mismanagement, potential fraud and lack of oversight in a loan program operated by the Department of Agriculture during Douglass's tenure.^[8] The audit's findings included that Douglass had sought reimbursement of $106.72 per night for a campsite at theWest Virginia State Fair when in reality the State Fair provided the campsite free of charge.^[10] 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.^[8] Douglass said he was not contacted as part of the audit.^[6] A follow-up audit later in 2014 raised additional issues with the loan program and found evidence of inappropriate reimbursements and expense claims, including a $282 expense for two nights' lodging for Douglas in relation to a November 2013 retirement party.^[11]

Douglass ran a 540-acre farm which specialized inbeef cattle andgrain production with his son, Tom. He and his wife, Anna Lee, had four children, six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.^[5] Anna Lee died in October 2014.^[8]

Douglass died on March 19, 2015, following a fall at his home in Mason County. He was 88.^[6] His funeral was held on March 22, 2015.^[12] He is survived by his four children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.^[8]

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1964^[13]

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^[14]

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^[15]

Gus R. Douglass – 128,774 (52.70%)

Charles E. Jenkins – 115,562 (47.30%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1968^[16]

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^[17]

Gus R. Douglass – 179,130 (64.06%)

Charles Jenkins – 100,480 (35.94%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1972^[18]

Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 452,829 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1976^[19]

Gus R. Douglass – 198,803 (63.70%)

Charles E. Jenkins – 113,295 (36.30%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1976^[20]

Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 508,998 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 1980^[21]

Gus R. Douglass – 183,711 (68.21%)

Charles E. Jenkins – 85,626 (31.79%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1980^[22]

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^[23]

Gus R. Douglass – 227,715 (69.84%)

Charles E. Jenkins – 98,326 (30.16%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1984^[24]

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^[25]

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^[26]

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^[27]

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^[28]

Gus R. Douglass – 252,246 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 1996^[29]

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^[30]

Gus R. Douglass – 224,800 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2000^[31]

Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 485,648 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, Democratic primary, 2004^[32]

Gus R. Douglass – 217,069 (100.00%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2004^[33]

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^[34]

Gus R. Douglass – 193,766 (63.08%)

Oscar Wayne Casto – 113,400 (36.92%)

West Virginia Commissioner of Agriculture, general election, 2008^[35]

Gus R. Douglass, Democratic Party – 352,242 (53.07%)

James Michael Teets, Republican Party – 311,496 (46.93%)

• Report of the legislative audit of the Department of Agriculture