Ottie Adkins was born in 1935 and raised in Gimlet Hollow in Huntington's West End. He attended Cook Elementary School, West Junior High School and Huntington High School. Adkins earned his bachelor's degree from Marshall University in 1976.
As a teenager, Adkins discovered the "VFW Boxing Gym." He went on to box professionally and made National Golden Gloves history. During his pro career in the 1960s, he won seven bouts by knockout, lost two and had one draw. Adkins is the only person known to have fought, won a national championship, refereed and judged in the National Golden Gloves and served as chairman of a Golden Gloves team that went to the National Golden Gloves tournaments.
He joined the Huntington Police Department on December 12, 1950, while he was still boxing. He eventually chose law enforcement as his sole career. Adkins started as a patrolman and worked his way up to becoming chief of police. While he was a sergeant, he organized and directed the Police Department's first tactical unit. The unit concentrated on high-level crime and major problems in the city. He later organized HPD's first drug unit. He was named Police Officer of the Year by both the Huntington Jaycees and the American Legion.
He organized the Huntington Junior Police and started West Virginia's first Crime Prevention Unit. Under his direction, the Crime Prevention Unit developed a program called Operation Lifeline that operated in coordination with senior citizen volunteers. Adkins was sent to police departments and senior organizations throughout the country to lecture on Huntington's programs.
He served on the National Advisory Board on Crime Prevention with AARP in Washington, D.C. He was awarded the NRTA/AARP Outstanding Contributions for Older Americans Award. He was presented the Pro-Patria Award for his National Guard support in 1983.
After retirement from HPD, he was twice elected to Huntington City Council and served two terms as Cabell County sheriff. He was elected as Cabell County assessor in 1996. He was one of the first assessors in the state to upgrade the computer system so the public could access and review their own property assessments. As a result, he received the Ralph C. Boyle Memorial Achievement Award. He was re-elected three times before retiring in 2012.
Gov. Joe Manchin presented him with the 2010 Distinguished West Virginian Award.
Adkins also volunteered at Ground Zero after the Sept. 11 attacks and volunteered in Gulfport, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina.
He and his wife Patty have three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
