Elzie Odom, trailblazer, civic leader and Arlington’s first Black mayor dies. He was 96
Longtime Arlington resident Elzie Odom, the city’s first Black mayor, a trailblazer and a champion of the people, died Monday.
He was 96.
Odom was known for advancing a number of important issues in Arlington, including “opportunities for youth, improved transportation and mobility, inclusion in city boards and commissions,” the City of Arlington’s Susan Schrock, managing editor/media relations, wrote in a tribute to Odom.
“Today, as we lower our flags, we honor a life that was nothing short of monumental,” Arlington Mayor Jim Ross said in the article. “Elzie Odom was more than a dedicated servant; he was the embodiment of the Arlington spirit. He was a trailblazer who fundamentally changed our city’s landscape, not just through transportation and infrastructure improvements and keeping vital employers like General Motors and the Rangers in town, but by championing the idea that every single person in Arlington deserved a seat at the table.”
Years of service in Arlington
Odom was born on May 10, 1929, grew up in the freedom colony of Shankleville, and later attended Prairie View A&M before beginning his career with the U.S. Postal Service.
In Orange County, Texas, Odom was the first African American to be named U.S. Postal Inspector in Texas and the fifth in the nation, he wrote in his memoir, “Counting My Blessings.”
After spending two decades in the U.S. Postal Service, Odom retired in 1987. He and his family — wife Ruby and their two children, Dr. Barbara Odom-Wesley and the Rev. Elzie Odom Jr. — moved to Arlington.
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Odom wasted no time in becoming a civic leader; he was first elected to the Arlington City Council in 1990 after serving on the Planning and Zoning Commission. He was elected mayor in 1997, “a year when he noted that Black residents made up only about 8% of the city’s population and the total minority population was only about 14%,” according to the article.
“There was a lot of hype about my being the first African American on the council but after I was sworn in and the work started, I was no different from anyone else,” Odom wrote in his memoir. “All my life I was taught that all people are the same and should be treated the same.”
During his time at the Arlington City Council, Odom worked on redistricting, transportation and mobility infrastructure improvements critical to Arlington’s growth. He played a key role in numerous economic development initiatives including the city’s successful bids to keep the Texas Rangers and General Motors assembly plant in Arlington, according to the article.
As mayor, Odom also advocated for Arlington youth and supported programs for seniors and residents with disabilities.
The Elzie Odom Recreation Center in north Arlington opened in 1999 and besides being a place to gather and exercise for an untold number of residents, it’s fittingly a polling place for elections.
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Odom’s community service in Arlington included long-term membership at Mount Olive Baptist Church, where he was a deacon, the Rotary Club, Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Clubs, and by representing the city on several local and state boards, including the Texas Municipal League, North Central Texas Council of Governments, Tarrant County Housing Partnership, Working Connection, and the State Attorney General’s Municipal Advisory Committee, according to the city.
In 2020, the University of Texas at Arlington’s Special Collections at UTA Libraries made dozens of scrapbooks, personal letters, historical city documents and other memorabilia from Odom’s life available to the public.
This story was originally published November 17, 2025 at 7:50 PM.