Representative Paul Harold Todd

Paul Harold Todd Jr. (September 22, 1921 – November 18, 2008) was an American politician, soldier, and business executive from the state of Michigan who served one term as a Democratic Representative in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1967. His service in Congress took place during a significant period in American history, and he participated actively in the legislative process while representing the interests of his constituents in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district.

Todd was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the son of Paul H. Todd, who served as mayor of Kalamazoo in 1937, and the grandson of Albert M. Todd, a former U.S. Representative and noted industrialist known as the “Peppermint King” for founding the A.M. Todd Company. He spent part of his youth in California and graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1937. He then attended Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in 1943, laying the academic foundation for his later work in business and public service.

During World War II, Todd served his country in the United States Army Signal Corps and in the Office of Strategic Services, the wartime intelligence agency that was the forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency. His military service extended from 1942 to 1945, and he was awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service. These wartime experiences contributed to his later perspectives on foreign policy, national security, and international engagement.

After the war, Todd returned to Michigan and embarked on a business career that drew on his family’s longstanding involvement in the flavor and extract industry. In 1958 he founded the Kalamazoo Spice Extraction Company, later known as Kalsec, a firm specializing in spice and herb extracts and related products. As a business executive, he helped develop the company into a significant enterprise in the food ingredients sector, continuing the entrepreneurial legacy established by his grandfather.

Todd’s first bid for national office came in 1962, when he ran as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Representative August E. Johansen in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district. He was unsuccessful in that initial challenge, but he ran again in 1964, a year of substantial Democratic gains nationwide. In the 1964 election he defeated Johansen and was elected to the 89th Congress, serving from January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1967. As a member of the House of Representatives, Todd contributed to the legislative process during one term in office, participating in debates and votes during the era of the Great Society and the escalation of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He was sometimes referred to as one of the “Michigan Five Fluke Freshmen,” a group of Democrats who won traditionally Republican seats in the 1964 landslide. In the 1966 general election, amid a national shift back toward the Republican Party, he was defeated for reelection by Republican Garry E. Brown.

Following his congressional service, Todd continued to play a prominent role in public affairs and nonprofit leadership. From 1967 to 1970 he served as chief executive officer of Planned Parenthood, where he oversaw the organization’s operations during a period of expanding public debate over family planning and reproductive health. In 1972 he was appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Ethics in Michigan, serving on that body until 1976 and contributing to efforts to strengthen ethical standards in state government. He sought a return to Congress as a Democratic candidate for election to the 94th Congress in 1974 but was unsuccessful. In addition to his political and advocacy work, he served as chair of the Board of Directors of Pathfinder International, an organization focused on global reproductive health and family planning, further extending his influence in international public health and development.

In his later years, Todd remained closely connected to his hometown of Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he resided until his death. He was married to his first wife, Terry, for 51 years, and together they had four children. Terry preceded him in death in 1997. In 2004 he married Caroline Hamm, a former mayor of Kalamazoo, reflecting his continued ties to local civic life and leadership. Paul Harold Todd Jr. died on November 18, 2008, in Michigan, leaving a legacy as a wartime veteran, entrepreneur, one-term congressman, and leader in national and international nonprofit organizations.