O. L. Bodenhamer

Ossee Lee Bodenhamer (June 27, 1891 – June 19, 1933) was an American businessman who served as the 12th national commander of the American Legion from 1929 to 1930.

O. L. Bodenhamer
Bodenhamer in 1929
Born	Ossee Lee Bodenhamer (1891-06-27)June 27, 1891 Goldthwaite, Texas, U.S.
Died	June 19, 1933(1933-06-19) (aged 41) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.
Cause of death	Burns from explosion
Resting place	Arlington Cemetery, El Dorado, Arkansas, U.S. 33°13′07.0″N 92°39′02.2″W
Alma mater	Howard Payne University Baylor University (BA)
Occupations	Teacher businessman
Title	12th National Commander of The American Legion
Term	1929 – 1930
Predecessor	Paul V. McNutt
Successor	Ralph T. O'Neil
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Irene Richardson ​ (m. 1930)​
Children	2
Parents	John Richard Bodenhamer Anna Lee Hopkins
Military service
Nickname	"Bodie"
Branch	United States Army
Service years	1917–1919
Rank	Major
Commands	3d Battalion, 19th Infantry
Wars	World War I
Awards	World War I Victory Medal

Biography

Ossee Lee Bodenhamer was born in Goldthwaite, Texas, graduating from Baylor University with a bachelor's degree in 1914. During World War I, he served in Georgia, Ohio, and Texas as an infantry officer. After the war, Bodenhamer moved to El Dorado, Arkansas, where he established a successful real estate company.^[1] At the 11th national convention in 1929, he was unanimously elected national commander of The American Legion.^[2] In 1932, he unsuccessfully sought the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate, losing in the primary election to Hattie Caraway. He died in Shreveport, Louisiana, on June 19, 1933.^[3]

Honors

• Doctor of Laws (honoris causa), Baylor University, 1930^[4]

See also

• List of Baylor University people
• List of Liberty ships

Notes

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Archives and Records Administration.