His father was born into slavery in 1859 and later became a physician, his mother was a teacher and raised the children on her own after Elijah Odom's death in 1924.
Vernon Odom Boulevard, formerly Wooster Avenue (a main thoroughfare through one of Akron's predominantly African-American neighborhoods), was renamed in his honor in 2002.
After this was passed, many local signs were renamed to read "V Odom Boulevard," reaping much public conversation and amusement.
For those of you just joining us, Akron City Council voted in 2002 to rename Wooster Avenue to honor a legendary local civil rights leader named Vernon Odom.
But the bill's sponsor, Marco Sommerville — operating on the assumption that everyone who worked for the city was familiar with the man — scrawled out a quick Post-It Note to the street department requesting signs for the new V Odom Boulevard.