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.Prior to beginning work for the Department of Agriculture, Douglass operated a farm equipment and motor truck dealership.[5] 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.[6] Douglass was re-elected in 2008 over Republican 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 mobile laboratory able to identify viruses more quickly.[1] In 2014 an audit by the West Virginia Legislature found mismanagement, potential fraud and lack of oversight in a loan program operated by the Department of Agriculture during Douglass's tenure.
West Virginia Commissioner of AgricultureGaston CapertonCecil H. UnderwoodBob WiseJoe ManchinEarl Ray TomblinCleve BenedictWalt HelmickHulett C. SmithArch A. Moore, Jr.Jay RockefellerMason CountyWest VirginiaDemocratic PartyAlma materWest Virginia UniversityGrimms Landing, West VirginiaFuture Farmers of Americabachelor's degreehonoraryDoctor of LawsWest Virginia State UniversityWest Virginia Department of AgricultureGovernor of West VirginiaRepublicanlaboratoryvirusesWest Virginia Legislaturecold storageRipleyUnited States Secretary of AgricultureUnited States CongressWest Virginia State Fairbeef cattleRepublican PartyClyde SeeMario J. PalumboThe JournalCharleston Daily MailDeseret NewsThe Herald-DispatchFox NewsThe Charleston GazetteWCHS Radio 58West Virginia MetroNewsWCHS-TVWest Virginia Secretary of StateDemocraticAgriculture Commissioner of West Virginia