Born in Cedar Key, Florida, Randolph Hodges lived most of his life in the home his father had built around the turn of the century.

He graduated from Cedar Key High School in 1932 and attended the University of Florida for a short time before returning to his native island city.

Hodges married Mildred Yearty from Otter Creek, Florida in November 1933 and began a relationship that would last 72 years, producing 3 children: Eugene Randolph, Nancy Patricia, and William Hal.

[1][2] Following the 1961 legislative session, Governor Farris Bryant and the Florida Cabinet appointed Hodges to serve as State Conservation Director.

He raised cattle on his Rosewood farm on the mainland and represented Pompano Park Harness Race Track as a lobbyist in Tallahassee for many years.