{{Short description|American businessman and activist (1942–2012)}} {{Infobox person | image = | caption = | birth_name= Lawrence Burnham Dodge | birth_date={{birth date|1942|12|20}} | birth_place = Oakland, California, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|7|17|1942|12|20}} | death_place =Dallas, Texas, U.S. | other_names = | occupation = Activist, politician, professor of sociology | spouse = Honey Lanham |yearsactive= |notable_works = }}
'''Lawrence Burnham Dodge''' (December 20, 1942 – July 17, 2012) was an American businessman and activist, who served as Chair of the Montana Libertarian Party.
==Early life==
Dodge was born in Oakland, California. Dodge had worked as a professional photographer for some time in his career.<ref name="auto">The Dallas Morning News Aug. 17, 2012 [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?pid=159226544#sthash.9pL7B3zh.dpuf Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge Obituary]</ref> Prior to his political involvement in politics, he trained in sociology. He gained a Ph.D. from Brown University. Also he was a professor at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh. He was also professor at the University of Montana.<ref name="auto1">Libertarian Republican Tuesday, April 24, 2012 [http://www.libertarianrepublican.net/2012/04/larry-dodge-in-intensive-care-in-panama.html Larry Dodge in intensive care in Panama City by Clifford F. Thies]</ref><ref>Missoulian October 03, 2012 [http://missoulian.com/news/local/obituaries/dr-lawrence-burnham-dodge/article_d41722b2-0d62-11e2-9e52-001a4bcf887a.html Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge]</ref>
== Personal life == In 1990, he married long-time LP activist Honey Lanham who was from Texas.<ref name="auto1"/>
==Activism== ''The Washington Post'' described Dodge as a Montana sociology professor turned libertarian activist.<ref>The Washington Post Monday, February 8, 1999 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/national/jury080299.htm Page A1 In Jury Rooms, Form of Civil Protest Grows By Joan Biskupic]</ref> Along with Don Doig he has been referred to as an old warrior who had made a career out of fighting big government.<ref>''Essays on Foundations of American Constitutional Government: "... by the constitution"'' By Robert D. Gorgoglione [https://books.google.com/books?id=P5nStjB1zpcC&dq=Gun+Owners+of+America+Larry+Dodge+Robert+D.+Gorgoglione&pg=PT544 Page 504]</ref> He appeared at and participated in various Libertarian conferences. In the 1980s he was at one of the Libertarian National Conventions in which he opened with a keynote on libertarian successes and credibility.<ref>The Michigan Libertarian Newsletter Summer 1985 Vol. 12 No. 5-8 Page 1 National Convention: "Freedom Reborn and the Second Wave"</ref><ref>Libertarian Party of Michigan http://www.michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan%20Libertarian%20Vol%2012.5-8%201985%20Summer.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151215155301/http://www.michiganlp.org/Past%20Newsletters/Michigan%20Libertarian%20Vol%2012.5-8%201985%20Summer.pdf |date=2015-12-15 }}</ref> He also spoke at the Eris 1999 Conference held in Aspen, Colorado.<ref>The Eris Society [http://www.erissociety.org/eris99.html Eris 1999 – Aspen, Colorado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150304033328/http://www.erissociety.org/eris99.html |date=2015-03-04 }}</ref>
One of the issues he had an interest in was gun ownership.<ref name="auto"/> In 2002 he wrote an article for Gun Owners of America called "In Op-ed Pieces". It was about gun control laws, the loss of liberties and the government not being the least bit interested in honoring the Bill of Rights.<ref>GOA 16 January 2002 [https://www.gunowners.org/op0202.htm Amazing Disgrace: Assault on Juries and the Bill of Rights ...]</ref>
===Fully Informed Jury Association=== Along with Don Doig, Dodge was the founder of the non-profit group Fully Informed Jury Association in Montana. The organization was set up to inform Americans about their rights as jurors as well as personal liberties.<ref>The Day December 14, 1999 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19991214&id=tp5GAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5vgMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1422,2917969&hl=en D4 Nation New Mexica county ordered to use non-English speaking jurors by Jordan Koidin Associated Press Writer]</ref><ref>''Punishment, Participatory Democracy, and the Jury'' By Albert W. Dzur [https://books.google.com/books?id=3g75hWJ5FZMC&dq=%22Larry+Dodge%22LIbertarian&pg=PA132 Page 132 The Citizen-Activist Movement of the Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA)]</ref>
==Political== Dodge was the best known leader of the Montana Libertarian Party.<ref>The Spokesman-Review Friday Nov. 9, 1984 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19841109&id=d1hWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B-8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4392,5135671&hl=en Page 12 Libertarians retain ballot status]</ref> He tried three times for statewide office.<ref>ABA Journal Jul 1991 [https://books.google.com/books?id=fAIEvxe-NkgC&dq=Larry+Dodge+Libertarian&pg=PA18 Page 18 Poower to the Juries]</ref> In 1982 Dodge campaigned for the senate seat that was held by democrat John Melcher and Republican Larry Williams. He got 4 percent of the vote.<ref>Spokesman-Review Sep 5, 1984 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19840905&id=BA1XAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-O4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2233,2911350&hl=en Page 16, Montana Libertarians seek success, not agreement By Larry Wills Staff correspondent]</ref><ref>Lewiston Journal Oct-4, 1982 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1899&dat=19821004&id=SNVGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oPMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=3657,459098&hl=en Page 6, The answer really came easy]</ref> In an article in the Spokesman-Review Oct 20, 1982, he said that Melcher was being bankrolled by special interest groups and that Republican Williams was using polls to pick out the most popular issues to aid his image.<ref>Spokesman-Review Oct 20, 1982 [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&dat=19821020&id=sflLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2e4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=5471,2014921&hl=en Senate seat candidates trade jobs]</ref> In 1987, Dodge tried to promote Russell Means for the Libertarian candidacy in the 1988 race.<ref>''Reason'', 10.22.2012 – [https://reason.com/2012/10/22/russell-means-rip/ Russell Means, R.I.P. – Brian Doherty]</ref>
== Relocation to Panama == In 2004, after considering different locations around the world, they decided to move to Panama. They settled on the mountain town of Altos del María there. They had visited the area a couple of years previously to check it out. Part of the reason they moved there was due to Dodge's health issues and the fact that healthcare was beyond their means. In an article in ''The New York Times'' she drew a comparison between her husband's medical treatment costing $52,000 in the US and in Panama costing $11,000. Low land prices and Panama's laissez-faire stance on private property rights and entrepreneurship were also a feature.<ref>New York Times April 11, 2006 [https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/11/business/retirement/11panama.html?_r=0 Retirement, Moving On – Content to Watch Bananas Grow, More Retirees Relocate to Panama By Bob Tedechi]</ref><ref>New York Times February 13, 2005 [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F05E0DD173AF930A25751C0A9639C8B63 National Perspectives: Beauty and Tax Breaks Lure Buyers to Panama by Alex Markels]</ref> Another reason given for their move to Panama was the personal freedoms they felt Panama offered them. They felt those freedoms were being rapidly eroded in the U.S.<ref>Focus Panama [http://www.focuspublicationsint.com/focuspanama/en/arti-expats.htm ''Here in Panama where life is good'' Some profiles on our new neighbors – Larry Dodge and Honey Sue Lanham]</ref>
== Death == In April 2012 he was in a Panama hospital having suffered from what appeared to have been an aneurysm. He had been with his wife when he collapsed and she had got him to hospital.<ref name="auto1" /> He died on July 17, 2012, aged 69.<ref>Ballot Access News August 15, 2012 [http://ballot-access.org/2012/08/15/larry-dodge-dies/ Larry Dodge Dies by Richard Winger]</ref> A memorial was held for him on 18 August.<ref>The Dallas Morning News August 17, 2012 [http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/obituary.aspx?pid=159226544 Dr. Lawrence Burnham Dodge Obituary]</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== ;Interviews * [http://fija.org/docs/NL_1995_20.pdf KTKK AM-63 October 1998, The Kathy Herman Show – The FIJActivist Number 20 Autumn 1995 Page 8 State News] ;Links * [http://www.whiteoutpress.com/articles/q32012/rip-larry-dodge-long-live-fija641/ Whiteout Press tribute to Larry Dodge]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodge, Larry}} Category:2012 deaths Category:Activists from Oakland, California Category:Businesspeople from Oakland, California Category:Politicians from Oakland, California Category:People from Powell County, Montana Category:Montana Libertarians Category:1942 births