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→Party chairman under Governor Winthrop Rockefeller
In 1966, Rockefeller rebounded to win the governorship after he had defeated Democrat [[James D. Johnson]] of Conway in Faulkner County, the first Arkansas Republican to hold the state's top executive position since [[Reconstruction]]. Pollard served as state party chairman from 1966 to 1970, the same as the Rockefeller gubernatorial years. Years later, Pollard described Rockefeller as "a dedicated man who tried to do a lot of good for the state of Arkansas. He and I saw things exactly the same way."<ref name=statement/>
In 1966, Rockefeller rebounded to win the governorship after he had defeated Democrat [[James D. Johnson]] of Conway in Faulkner County, the first Arkansas Republican to hold the state's top executive position since [[Reconstruction]]. Pollard served as state party chairman from 1966 to 1970, the same as the Rockefeller gubernatorial years. Years later, Pollard described Rockefeller as "a dedicated man who tried to do a lot of good for the state of Arkansas. He and I saw things exactly the same way."<ref name=statement/>
Because Arkansas Republican chairman [[John Paul Hammerschmidt]], a businessman from Harrison and a decorated [[World War II]] veteran, was elected to Congress in 1966, an election was held by state Republican committee members on December 10 of that year to choose a new party leader. Pollard, the party's general counsel, ran, as did the North Little Rock [[veterinarian]] [[Wayne Babbitt]], the sitting vice chairman. Four days before the election, however, Babbitt withdrew in Pollard's favor but with a warning: "It saddens me greatly to witness the strife and controversy that has been created by the race for chairmanship of our party.... We can ill afford the price of such unnecessary fighting among ourselves. It this doesn't cease at once, a sharp division in our ranks will be created that could last for years to come."<ref>Cathy Kunzinger Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71'' (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1991), p. 164, {{ISBN|1-55728-200-5}}</ref>
Because Arkansas Republican chairman [[John Paul Hammerschmidt]], a businessman from Harrison and a decorated [[World War II]] veteran, was elected to Congress in 1966, an election was held by state Republican committee members on December 10 of that year to choose a new party leader. Pollard, the party's general counsel, ran, as did the North Little Rock [[veterinarian]] [[Wayne Babbitt]], the sitting vice chairman. Four days before the election, however, Babbitt withdrew in Pollard's favor but with a warning: "It saddens me greatly to witness the strife and controversy that has been created by the race for chairmanship of our party.... We can ill afford the price of such unnecessary fighting among ourselves. It this doesn't cease at once, a sharp division in our ranks will be created that could last for years to come."<ref>Cathy Kunzinger Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform: Winthrop Rockefeller as Governor of Arkansas, 1967-71'' (Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1991), p. 164, ISBN 1-55728-200-5.</ref>
There was no ideological split between Pollard and Babbitt. The Rockefeller aide, Everett Ham, said that Babbitt "rubbed Rockefeller the wrong way, and that's who got the election." The now-defunct ''Arkansas Gazette'' called Pollard "the voice of compromise," who was allied with the more liberal side of the party but had also worked well with the conservative faction.<ref name="Urwin, p. 164">Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 164.</ref>
There was no ideological split between Pollard and Babbitt. The Rockefeller aide, Everett Ham, said that Babbitt "rubbed Rockefeller the wrong way, and that's who got the election." The now-defunct ''Arkansas Gazette'' called Pollard "the voice of compromise," who was allied with the more liberal side of the party but had also worked well with the conservative faction.<ref name="Urwin, p. 164">Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 164.</ref> As chairman, Pollard urged caution regarding Republican patronage: "Let us be sure that we do not ask the governor to appoint people who would not be good public servants," a position also held by Hammerschmidt.<ref name="Urwin, p. 164"/>
As chairman, Pollard urged caution regarding Republican patronage: "Let us be sure that we do not ask the governor to appoint people who would not be good public servants," a position also held by Hammerschmidt.<ref name="Urwin, p. 164"/>
Pollard and the Republican State Committee instructed county chairmen to appoint special committees to handle recommendations for state job appointments at the county level. These committees were also told to consider Democratic and [[African-American]] input in the selections. In January 1967, Pollard rejected the composition of the special committee in Conway County, as he thought that it did not reflect the campaign organization that worked for Rockefeller's election. Most of the state jobs were still assigned to Democrats, which was a sore point with many Republican county chairmen.<ref name="Urwin, p. 165">Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 165.</ref>
Pollard and the Republican State Committee instructed county chairmen to appoint special committees to handle recommendations for state job appointments at the county level. These committees were also told to consider Democratic and [[African-American]] input in the selections. In January 1967, Pollard rejected the composition of the special committee in Conway County, as he thought that it did not reflect the campaign organization that worked for Rockefeller's election. Most of the state jobs were still assigned to Democrats, which was a sore point with many Republican county chairmen.<ref name="Urwin, p. 165">Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 165.</ref>
One Republican county chairman, angered over a Rockefeller Democratic appointment to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, vowed in anger to work against the Republican Party in the next election.<ref name="Urwin, p. 165"/> It was reported in May 1970 that of the 476 Rockefeller appointees to state boards and commission, only 86 had contributed money to the Arkansas Republican Party.<ref>Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', pp. 166-167.</ref>
One Republican county chairman, angered over a Rockefeller Democratic appointment to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, vowed in anger to work against the Republican Party in the next election.<ref name="Urwin, p. 165"/> It was reported in May 1970 that of the 476 Rockefeller appointees to state boards and commission, only 86 had contributed money to the Arkansas Republican Party.<ref>Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', pp. 166-167.</ref>
Pollard noted that Rockefeller appointed the first blacks to many state and local offices, including the Arkansas [[Selective Service System]] boards. By 1967, Arkansas was second in the ratio of white-to-black draft board members. In Little Rock, 28 percent of the draft board was black, all of them Rockefeller appointees.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/?id=I7gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=odell+pollard#v=onepage&q=odell%20pollard&f=false|title=''Jet Magazine'', October 19, 1967, p. 8|accessdate=February 3, 2011|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|date=1967-10-19}}</ref> Pollard also urged his party to be "flexible" to make it easier to elect the party's national ticket as well as Republicans in state races.<ref>Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 169.</ref>
Pollard noted that Rockefeller appointed the first blacks to many state and local offices, including the Arkansas [[Selective Service System]] boards. By 1967, Arkansas was second in the ratio of white-to-black draft board members. In Little Rock, 28 percent of the draft board was black, all of them Rockefeller appointees.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/?id=I7gDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=odell+pollard#v=onepage&q=odell%20pollard&f=false|title=''Jet Magazine'', October 19, 1967, p. 8|accessdate=February 3, 2011|publisher=Johnson Publishing Company|date=1967-10-19}}</ref> Pollard also urged his party to be "flexible" to make it easier to elect the party's national ticket as well as Republicans in state races.<ref>Urwin, ''Agenda for Reform'', p. 169.</ref>
Pollard left the chairmanship in December 1970, and the state executive committee chose Charles Taylor Bernard, Sr. (1927-2015), then a businessman engaged in dry cleaning from the small city of Earle in Cross County in eastern Arkansas. Bernard had been the unsuccessful Republican candidate in 1968 against Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]]. When Rockefeller died in 1973, Pollard followed as Republican national committeeman, a post that Rockefeller had first filled in 1961, after the retirement of party veteran [[Wallace Townsend]]. Pollard was national committeeman until 1976, when U.S. Representative Hammerschmidt assumed the position while remaining a member of Congress. Coincidentally, Pollard died only three weeks prior to the passing of Hammerschmidt on April 1, 2015.
Pollard left the chairmanship in December 1970, and the state executive committee chose Charles Taylor Bernard, Sr. (1927-2015), then a businessman engaged in dry cleaning from the small city of Earle in Cross County in eastern Arkansas. Bernard had been the unsuccessful Republican candidate in 1968 against Democratic [[U.S. Senator]] [[J. William Fulbright]]. When Rockefeller died in 1973, Pollard followed as Republican national committeeman, a post that Rockefeller had first filled in 1961, after the retirement of party veteran [[Wallace Townsend]]. Pollard was national committeeman until 1976, when U.S. Representative Hammerschmidt assumed the position while remaining a member of Congress. Coincidentally, Pollard died only three weeks prior to the passing of Hammerschmidt on April 1, 2015.
===Campaign manager for Ken Coon, 1974===
===Campaign manager for Ken Coon, 1974===