Complex sentence: In 1995 he accepted the position of Ambassador to the United Nations from Compton, his old enemy, holding it for only a year; when Compton resigned in 1996, Odlum chose to stand for election against his successor and lost the contest.
Split into simpler sentences: In 1995 he accepted the position of Ambassador to the United Nations from Compton, his old enemy, holding it for only a year. When Compton resigned in 1996, Odlum chose to stand for election against his successor and lost the contest.