Gus R Douglass was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party, who served as Agriculture Commissioner of West Virginia for 44 years.
13 Facts About Gus Douglass
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Gus Douglass was the longest-serving Agriculture Commissioner in US history.
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Gus Douglass served as state and national president of the Future Farmers of America as the first president of the FFA to hail from West Virginia, and later was the inaugural president of the National FFA Alumni Association.
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Gus Douglass went on to serve as Commissioner in his own right for six terms between 1965 and 1989, and five more between 1993 and 2013.
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Gus Douglass unsuccessfully ran for Governor of West Virginia in 1988.
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Gus Douglass testified before the United States Congress multiple times on matters relating to farming.
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When he retired Gus Douglass had worked at the West Virginia Department of Agriculture for more than half of its then 101-year history.
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Gus 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.
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The audit's findings included that Gus Douglass had sought reimbursement of $106.72 per night for a campsite at the West Virginia State Fair when in reality the State Fair provided the campsite free of charge.
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Gus Douglass said he was not contacted as part of the audit.
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Gus Douglass ran a 540-acre farm which specialized in beef cattle and grain production with his son, Tom.
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Gus Douglass died on March 19,2015, following a fall at his home in Mason County.
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Gus Douglass is survived by his four children and a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.