Rochester dies at 92

Odessans paused Wednesday to remember a trailblazer in business and philanthropy. Long-time real estate developer Louis Rochester died at 92.

Rochester was a major figure in the development of industrial and residential parts of the community, said Neil McDonald, the city’s former economic development director, who worked with Rochester for 25 years.

Rochester turned over an option to purchase 400 acres in South Odessa to the Odessa Industrial Development Corp., now Grow Odessa, which allowed OIDC to build its industrial park. McDonald said the move allowed two power plants, the Family Dollar distribution facility and numerous other businesses to move in to the community.

“He gave that option to the development corporation to start the journey toward economic diversification of Odessa’s economy,” McDonald said. “You can see now that there are millions and millions and millions of dollars invested in that business park alone for diversified industry and our oil economy.”

Rochester also helped make sure the workers at the industrial park had a place to live by establishing the Murphy and Rochester real estate development firm, McDonald said. He helped develop subdivisions including University Gardens.

“You can almost put your finger on any part of a map in eastern Odessa, and Louis Rochester was behind the scenes to encourage investors to develop our residential neighborhoods,” McDonald said.

Earlier this year, Odessa College and UTPB each received $25,000 from Grow Odessa for the Louis Rochester Scholarship Fund. Rochester founded OIDC, a private nonprofit volunteer organization, in 1966.

Toby Eoff, Grow Odessa’s current president, said that by starting OIDC, Rochester helped change the course of business in the community.

“It’s grown a lot of business we probably wouldn’t have had,” Eoff said. “He’s pretty much a visionary. It helped create jobs. It helped create tax base for Odessa. It still does.”

Mike George, president of the Odessa Chamber of Commerce, praised Rochester’s work.

“His leadership will be missed, and his philanthropy will also be missed,” he said.

People outside Odessa remember Rochester as well. On its website, the Texas Mini Storage Association calls him “the most influential pioneer in our industry.” He built or partnered on small warehouse centers throughout Texas and the United States.

Rochester was also involved with the site selection for the University of Texas of the Permian Basin, and he created the school’s first endowed professorship and an endowed scholarship in business, according to a UTPB statement. He also made a “major” gift toward the construction of the UTPB Center for Energy and Economic Diversification in 1987.

“His presence will be sorely missed at JBS Leadership events, but his support for several UTPB programs and academic disciplines will live on,” said UTPB President David Watts.

Other beneficiaries of Rochester’s generosity included Odessa College and the Midland Odessa Symphony Chorale, said Lettie England, former director of the Presidential Museum and a fellow member of the Rotary Club, an organization Rochester served as district governor between 1978 and 1979.

“I hold him in very high esteem and Odessa has lost an icon,” England said. “His footprints are all over the progress that is here.”

Since moving to Odessa in 1929, Rochester served as chairman of more than 30 different organizations.

“Louis got around,” Eoff said. “He was quite an unsung hero in the community. I don’t know if people really realized what Louis did for them.”

A scoff on Rochester’s record came during the federal savings and loan bailouts of the 1980s, when 271 savings and loan institutions were rescued nationally at a cost of $38 billion.

According to Odessa American archives, Rochester, a former director of Odessa Savings Association, was convicted on four counts of bank fraud in November 1988. He was ordered to pay $7.2 million in restoration for a loan his association made to business partners.

Eoff said Rochester was able to overcome his involvement with the savings and loan crisis.

“Everything I saw of him, he was never really affected by that,” Eoff said. “The way things were at the time, I think a lot of people were caught up in that.”

Among the awards Rochester received were Odessa Statesman for the Arts and the George E. “Buddy” West Leadership Award, which the Presidential Museum gave to “an individual who displays outstanding leadership qualities, much like those exhibited by the President of the United States.”

“He believed in doing things, and I think one of the best pieces of advice he ever gave to me was, ‘you know, there’s a lot of difference between thinking about doing something and doing something,’ ” England said. “He was always a man of action.”

Services are pending with Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.