Earl Kemp Long was an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and the
45th Governor of
LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
for three non-consecutive terms. Long termed himself the "last of the red hot poppas" of politics, referring to his stump-speaking skills. He served from 1939–1940, 1948–1952, and 1956–1960.
He was also
lieutenant governorThe Office of Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana is the second highest state office in Louisiana. The current Lieutenant Governor is Jay Dardenne, a Republican...
, having served from 1936–1939, but he failed in three other bids to be elected lieutenant governor. In 1932, he lost to state House
SpeakerThe term speaker is a title often given to the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body. The speaker's official role is to moderate debate, make rulings on procedure, announce the results of votes, and the like. The speaker decides who may speak and has the...
John B. FournetJohn Baptiste Fournet was a Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, lieutenant governor of his state, and associate justice and Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court...
of
JenningsJennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
in Jefferson Davis Parish; in 1944, he was defeated in a runoff by
J. Emile VerretJ. Emile Verret was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 1944 to 1948, having served under the first of the two nonconsecutive gubernatorial terms of James Houston "Jimmie" Davis. Verret defeated former Governor Earl Kemp Long in the party's runoff election for the second-ranking...
of Iberia Parish, and in 1959, the position went to the conservative
Clarence C. "Taddy" AycockClarence C. "Taddy" Aycock , a conservative Democrat from Franklin in St. Mary Parish, was the only three-term lieutenant governor in modern Louisiana history. He served from 1960 to 1972. Aycock failed in his only bid for governor in the 1971 Democratic primary...
of
FranklinFranklin is a city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in
St. Mary ParishSt. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
. In that first defeat, Earl's brother,
Huey Pierce Long, Jr.Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
, endorsed Fournet, but the rest of the Long family stood with Earl. The outraged Earl, at thirty-six, called Huey "the yellowest physical coward that God had ever let live." Huey Long said of Earl: "Earl is my brother but he's crooked. If you live long enough he'll double cross you."
In the 1944 contest, Earl Long lost to a man whose previous political position had been no higher than a school board presidency. In the latter contest, Aycock won a second primary over the
mayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of
AlexandriaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
,
W. George Bowdon, Jr.William George Bowdon, Jr., was the Democratic mayor of Alexandria, the largest city in central Louisiana, from 1953–1969. At thirty-one, he was the youngest mayor in his city's history and the first to serve a four-year, instead of a two-year, term...
, as Long failed even to secure a runoff berth.
At the time of his death, Long's last term as governor had expired, and he was the Democratic nominee in the now defunct Eighth Congressional District, based in central Louisiana.
Early career
Long was born in
WinnfieldWinnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
, the seat of Winn Parish in north central Louisiana to Huey Pierce Long, Sr. (1852–1937), and the former Caledonia Palestine Tyson (1860–1913), a native of neighboring Grant Parish. He was the younger brother of U.S. Representative
George Shannon "Doc" LongGeorge Shannon "Doc" Long was a member of the powerful Long political dynasty in Louisiana and a Democratic U.S. representative from the defunct Eighth Congressional District from 1953-1958. The late Speedy O. Long of La Salle Parish, another member of the family, once jokingly compared George...
and Governor and U.S. Senator
Huey Pierce Long, Jr.Huey Pierce Long, Jr. , nicknamed The Kingfish, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928–1932 and as a U.S. Senator from 1932 to 1935. A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist policies. Though a backer of Franklin D...
Long's younger sister was Lucille Long Hunt (1898–1985) of
RustonRuston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, the seat of Lincoln Parish in north Louisiana and the mother of future
Louisiana Public Service CommissionLouisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
er
John S. Hunt, IIIJohn Smoker Hunt, III , was a nephew of Louisiana Governors Huey Pierce Long, Jr., and Earl Kemp Long who served on the elected Louisiana Public Service Commission from May 1964, to December 31, 1972. He was unseated in the September 30, 1972, Democratic runoff by Francis Edward Kennon, Jr...
(1928–2001), of
MonroeMonroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
. Long attended
Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
in Baton Rouge, where his college roommate was future
State SenatorThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
John Jones Doles, Sr.John Jones Doles, Sr. , was a banker in Plain Dealing in northern Bossier Parish who served in the Louisiana State Senate from 1952 to 1956, the tenure corresponding with the administration of Governor Robert F. Kennon...
, of
Plain DealingPlain Dealing is a town in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States best known as the birthplace of former U.S. Representative Joe D. Waggonner, Jr. The population was 1,071 at the 2000 census...
in northern Bossier Parish. Long thereafter graduated from
Loyola University New OrleansLoyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
College of Law.
Governorships
Long became governor in 1939, after the resignation of Governor Richard Leche, but he failed to win a term of his own in 1940. During his brief term, Long appointed a
cousinIn kinship terminology, a cousin is a relative with whom one shares one or more common ancestors. The term is rarely used when referring to a relative in one's immediate family where there is a more specific term . The term "blood relative" can be used synonymously and establishes the existence of...
, Floyd Harrison Long, Sr., as the custodian of the Central State (Mental) Hospital in
PinevillePineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
. Floyd Long was the father of future U.S. Representative
Gillis William LongGillis William Long was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana and member of the Long family. Long served seven non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives but placed third in two campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in 1963 and 1971...
and U.S. Army
ColonelColonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Floyd H. Long, Jr. Long's brief first tenure corresponded with the "Louisiana Hayride" scandals that engulfed the president of
Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
,
James Monroe SmithJames Monroe Smith, Sr. , was the president of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, during the 1930s...
.
Long was defeated in the Democratic primary by the conservative
attorneyA lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Sam Houston Jones--4.230.222.169 Sam Houston Jones was the 46th Governor of Louisiana from 1940 to 1944. He defeated the renowned Earl Kemp Long in the 1940 Democratic primary. Long turned the tables on Jones and defeated him in the 1948 party primary.-Early life:Sam Jones was born in Merryville in Beauregard...
of
Lake CharlesLake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
.
In 1944, Long did not run for governor though he wished to have done so. Instead he ran for lieutenant governor on an intraparty ticket with former U.S. Representative
Lewis Lovering MorganLewis Lovering Morgan was an American lawyer and politician form the state of Louisiana.He served in the United States House of Representatives from November 5, 1912, to March 4, 1917, from Louisiana's 6th congressional district, which then included part of the New Orleans area...
of
CovingtonCovington is a city in and the parish seat of St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,483 at the 2000 census. It is located at a fork of the Bogue Falaya and the Tchefuncte River....
, the seat of St. Tammany Parish north of New Orleans. Long led the party balloting for the second position in state government, but he lost the runoff to Verret, whose only previous elected experience had been as a member and president of the Iberia Parish School Board. Had Morgan not entered the second primary against
James Houston "Jimmie" DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
, Long would have become lieutenant governor without a runoff. At the time, Louisiana law provided that there would be no statewide constitutional runoff elections unless there was also a contest for governor. That rule did not apply to state legislative races, however.
Long blamed his failure to become lieutenant governor on Secretary of State
Wade O. Martin, Jr.Wade Omer Martin, Jr. was the Democratic Secretary of State of Louisiana under five governors, having served from 1944 to 1976...
, a former ally with whom he quarreled for many years thereafter. In 1957, Martin lost jurisdiction over both insurance and voting machines as a result of a law pushed through the legislature by Long.
Rufus D. HayesRufus D. Hayes was an attorney, judge, and businessman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as his state’s insurance commissioner from 1957-1964. He was also a former district attorney in East Baton Rouge Parish and in 1958 the Louisiana Democratic state chairman...
of Baton Rouge became the first insurance commissioner, and
Drayton BoucherDrayton Rogers Boucher was a Louisiana state legislator from Springhill in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, affiliated with the Long faction of state Democratic politics. Boucher represented Webster Parish for a single four-year term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940...
of
Webster ParishWebster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
was named over voting machines until he was replaced by
Douglas FowlerWiley Douglas Fowler, Sr. , was a local politician from rural Red River Parish in north Louisiana, a loyal supporter of Governor Earl Kemp Long, and his state's chief elections officer from 1959, until declining health forced his retirement, effective December 31, 1979...
of
Red River ParishRed River Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. It was one of the newer parishes created in 1871 by the state legislature under Reconstruction...
, when Boucher decided not to run for the office in the 1959-1960 election cycle.
In 1948, Long was elected governor to succeed Jimmie Davis, who had defeated Morgan in the 1944 runoff. To win the first of his two full terms from 1948 to 1952, Long defeated his old rival Sam Jones by a wide margin. Eliminated in the first primary was U.S. Representative
James Hobson "Jimmy" MorrisonJames Hobson "Jimmy" Morrison, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the Sixth Congressional District of Louisiana, who served from 1943 to 1967...
of
HammondHammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,049 at the 2009 census. It is home to Southeastern Louisiana University...
, who made his third and final gubernatorial bid.
Term limited for the 1951-1952 elections, Long essentially sat out the statewide elections won by Judge
Robert F. KennonRobert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
of
MindenMinden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
though most loyal Longites lined up with Judge
Carlos SpahtCarlos Gustave Spaht, I , was a Louisiana judge best remembered for having lost the Democratic gubernatorial runoff election in January 1952 to fellow Judge Robert F. Kennon of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Spaht's unsuccessful running mate for lieutenant governor...
of Baton Rouge. According to the book,
The Big Lie, by Garry Boulard (2001), Long proved instrumental in charges levied against gubernatorial candidate
Hale BoggsThomas Hale Boggs Sr. , was an American Democratic politician and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Orleans, Louisiana...
of New Orleans in the 1951-1952 campaign that Boggs was a communist. The charges were made by rival candidate
Lucille May GraceLucille May Grace, a.k.a. Mrs. Fred Columbus Dent, Sr., , was the first woman to attain statewide elected office in Louisiana. A Democrat, "Miss Grace," as she preferred to be called, became Register of the State Land Office in 1931 on appointment of Governor Huey Pierce Long, Jr...
and engineered by Plaquemines Parish boss
Leander PerezLeander Henry Perez, Sr. , was the Democratic political boss of Plaquemines and St. Bernard parishes in southeastern Louisiana during the middle third of the 20th century. Officially, he served as a district judge, later as district attorney, and as president of the Plaquemines Parish Commission...
. At a stormy session of the state Democratic committee, Long attacked Perez and Grace for making the charge against Boggs, but prevented Boggs from publicly defending himself, a ploy that some thought greatly contributed to Boggs' defeat.
Long surfaced again in 1955-1956, when he scored an easy victory over a field that included New Orleans
MayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr. (no relation to James H. Morrison but a law partner of Hale Boggs), state highway director
Fred PreausFrederick T. Preaus, known as Fred Preaus , was a businessman and politician in the U.S. state of Louisiana, a native of Farmerville, the seat of Union Parish near the Arkansas state line...
of
FarmervilleFarmerville is a town in and the parish seat of Union Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,808 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, the choice of outgoing Governor Robert Kennon, former state police superintendent
Francis GrevembergFrancis Carroll Grevemberg , was the superintendent of the Louisiana State Police from 1952 to 1955, best remembered for his fight against organized crime....
, and businessman James M. McLemore of
AlexandriaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
, making his second race for governor on a strictly segregationist platform.
Earl WilliamsonEarl Guyton Williamson, Sr. was a prominent businessman and politician in northern Caddo Parish, Louisiana, from the 1930s until the 1970s...
, a local
politicianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in Caddo Parish became personally close to both Huey and Earl Long. Williamson's son, later State Senator
Don W. WilliamsonDonald Wayne Williamson, usually known as Don Williamson , is a semiretired American businessman in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish and the largest city in north Louisiana, who served in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1968 and 1980...
recalls Earl Long coming into
VivianVivian, is a town in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States and is home to the Red Bud Festival. The population was 4,031 at the 2000 census...
and picking up his father, Earl Williamson, as the Earl Long entourage headed on a
buttermilkButtermilk refers to a number of dairy drinks. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cream. It also refers to a range of fermented milk drinks, common in warm climates where unrefrigerated fresh milk otherwise sours quickly...
-drinking and
horse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
trip to
Hot SpringsHot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
,
ArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Long demanded absolutely loyalty among his inner circle, often saying that he did not need them to back him when he is right but when he is wrong.
Governor Long became close to
Margaret DixonMargaret Richardson Dixon, usually known as Maggie Dixon , was perhaps the most influential woman journalist of 20th century Louisiana. She was the managing editor of her state's capital city newspaper, the Baton Rouge Morning Advocate, from 1949 until her death some two decades later...
, the first woman
managing editorA managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of the
Baton Rouge Morning Advocate. She often advised him on political strategy. He appointed her to the LSU Board of Supervisors in 1951.
From 1948-1950, Long's executive secretary was former college president and state Senator A.A. Fredericks of
NatchitochesNatchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
. Long later recalled Fredericks as his secretary for the last two years of Long's last term as governor. Another Long confidante, former legislator
Drayton BoucherDrayton Rogers Boucher was a Louisiana state legislator from Springhill in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, affiliated with the Long faction of state Democratic politics. Boucher represented Webster Parish for a single four-year term in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940...
of
SpringhillSpringhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and later Baton Rouge, was named as interim "custodian of voting machines" from 1958–1959, only to be replaced by still another ally,
Douglas FowlerWiley Douglas Fowler, Sr. , was a local politician from rural Red River Parish in north Louisiana, a loyal supporter of Governor Earl Kemp Long, and his state's chief elections officer from 1959, until declining health forced his retirement, effective December 31, 1979...
of
CoushattaCoushatta is a town in and the parish seat of rural Red River Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is situated on the east bank of the Red River. The community is approximately forty-five miles south of Shreveport on U.S. Highway 71...
, who won the position when it became an elective office in 1960.
On three occasions, Long tapped
Lorris M. WimberlyLorris May Wimberly, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928–1940 and again from 1948-1956. A native and resident of Arcadia, the seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Wimberly was House Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and from May 14-July 10, 1956...
of Bienville Parish as Speaker of the
Louisiana House of RepresentativesThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. He also named Wimberly director of
public worksPublic works are a broad category of projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community...
in Long's last term. In Louisiana, the powerful governor chooses the House Speaker despite the separation of powers.
In his last gubernatorial term, Long relied heavily on his legislative floor leader, state Representative Willard L. Rambo (1917–1984) of
GeorgetownGeorgetown is a village in Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 301 at the 2000 census.-History:...
in Grant Parish. Rambo was a Long by marriage, having wed the former Mary Alice Long.
In 1959, Long actually considered resigning as governor, a move which would have made his loyal lieutenant governor,
Lether Edward FrazarLether Edward Frazar was the Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana under Governor Earl Kemp Long from 1956-1960, who had earlier, as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Beauregard Parish, authored the state teacher retirement law...
of Lake Charles, the Louisiana chief executive for some seven months. Under the scenario, Long would then run for governor himself in the December 1959 Democratic primary and thereby avoid Louisiana's ban (at the time) on governors succeeding themselves. The plan never developed. Instead, the term-limited Long unsuccessfully sought the lieutenant governorship on a "ticket" headed by fellow Democrat and wealthy former Governor
James Albert Noe, Sr.James Albert Noe, Sr. of Monroe served for three and a half months as the 43rd Governor of Louisiana after the death of Oscar K. Allen on January 28, 1936....
Jimmie Davis succeeded Long as governor in 1960. It was said that in 1948 Long followed Davis, and in 1960, Davis followed Long. Long was nevertheless a testament to the persistence and power of the Long brand of
populismPopulism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
in southern politics.
"Uncle Earl"
The colorful "Uncle Earl" (so-named because of his relatives, including nephew and U.S. Senator Russell Long) once joked that one day the people of Louisiana would elect "
good governmentGood government is a normative description of how government is supposed to be constituted. It has been frequently employed by various political thinkers, ideologues and politicians.- Thomas Jefferson and Good government :...
, and they won't like it!" Beneath his public persona as a simple, plain-spoken rural Louisianan of little education was an astute political mind of considerable intelligence. Earl Long was a master campaigner, who attracted large crowds when his campaign caravan crisscrossed the state. He would not allow a local person to introduce him or his ticket mates at a rally. Only out-of-parish people could do the honor. Long reasoned that nearly any local person would have made some political enemies who might reject Earl Long just because that person's "enemy" was pro-Long. Long was determined to get every vote possible even if that meant forbidding the local leadership to introduce him when he came to town on a campaign swing.
Bill Dodd analyzes Earl Long
Long's first lieutenant governor, the late William J. "Bill" Dodd, in his memoirs entitled
Peapatch Politics: The Earl Long Era in Louisiana Politics (named for Earl Long's "Peapatch Farm" in Winn Parish), assesses Long this way:
"He had no formal speech training, but he was a great, forceful, and effective speaker. He had no university background in psychology, yet he practiced psychology in his political life, which was his whole life. He had no training in either economics or governmental administration, yet as governor he was an expert in both. Somewhere along the line, Earl Long changed from an amateurish shoe-polish salesman and political camp follower into a sound businessman and excellent government administrator. Other governors . . . drew from their formal educational training and varied business and political experiences to operate the governor's office. But none of them surpassed old Earl in the politics of getting elected or handling the job after being elected."
Dodd said that Long "was as conservative as
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
and as prejudiced as a Cyclops in the KKK about blacks, but he gave the state many liberal laws, was good to blacks, and strong for welfare. He called the women lobbyists in various groups "poor things who couldn't get enough at home" and "man-crazy nuts".
Dodd also repudiated the 1989 film
BlazeBlaze is a 1989 film written and directed by Ron Shelton. Based on the 1974 memoir Blaze Starr: My Life as Told to Huey Perry by Blaze Starr and Huey Perry, the film stars Paul Newman as Earl Long and Lolita Davidovich as Blaze Starr, with Starr herself appearing in a cameo.-Plot:The movie tells...
about
Blaze StarrBlaze Starr is an American former stripper and American burlesque star. Her vivacious presence and inventive use of stage props earned her the nickname "The Hottest Blaze in Burlesque"...
, a
burlesqueAmerican Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
performer who has an affair with Earl Long, played by
Paul NewmanPaul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
, with
Lolita DavidovichLolita Davidovich is a Canadian film and television actress.-Early life and career:Davidovich was born in London, Ontario, the daughter of immigrants from Yugoslavia. Her father was from Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, and her mother was from Slovenia; she spoke only Serbian during her early years...
as Starr. According to Dodd: Yet, it was widely reported at the time that Earl Long, on more than one occasion, introduced Ms. Starr to the press as "the future first lady of Louisiana". Earl Long left her $50,000 in his will, but Starr refused to accept the money.
Eccentricity and hospitalization
Long was well known for eccentric behavior, leading some to suspect that he suffered from
bipolar disorderBipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. In his last term in office his wife,
Blanche Revere LongBlanche Beulah Revere Long was the first lady of Louisiana from 1939–1940, 1948–1952, and 1956-1960. She was also a "partner in power" to her husband, Governor Earl Kemp Long. From 1956-1963, she was the Democratic national committeewoman from Louisiana...
(1902–1998), and others attempted to remove him on the grounds of mental instability. For a time, Long was confined to the Southeast Louisiana Hospital in
MandevilleMandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
, but his legal advisor,
Joseph A. SimsJoseph Arthur Sims, Sr. , was a Democratic operative from Hammond, Louisiana, who was associated with his state's Long political faction. As the legal advisor to Governor Earl Kemp Long, he obtained Long's discharge from the Southeast Louisiana State Hospital in Mandeville in St...
, was said to have "rescued" Long from the institution. Long was never formally diagnosed with any
mental illnessA mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
, and a large part of the motivation for this effort may have been political; his wife's involvement may have been related to his connection with Blaze Starr. Some have even speculated that he may have suffered from
dementiaDementia is a serious loss of cognitive ability in a previously unimpaired person, beyond what might be expected from normal aging...
in his last days.
Additionally, in his later years he was alleged to have suffered from
strokeA stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s, resulting in further mental impairment. He also had a severe heart attack in 1951.
While confined in the
mental hospitalMental hospital may refer to:*Psychiatric hospital*hospital in Nepal named Mental Hospital...
in Mandeville, Long kept his
political machineA political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
running via telephone. His staff discovered that nothing in Louisiana law required him to relinquish power because he was confined to the mental hospital; so Long ordered
Jesse BankstonJesse Homer Bankston, Sr. was a politician within the Democratic Party of Louisiana, a businessman, and, at his death at the age of 103, a member of the board of Louisiana Public Broadcasting...
, the head of the state hospital system, fired and replaced him with a supporter, who had Long released. Bill Dodd, who experienced times of positive association with Long followed by alienation, defended Long over the mental hospital confinement. So too did long-time State Senator
Sixty RayburnBenjamin Burras Rayburn, Sr., known as B. B. "Sixty" Rayburn , was a veteran politician from Bogalusa, an incorporated city in Washington Parish in southeastern Louisiana in the United States...
of
BogalusaBogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 13,365 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington Parish and is also part of the larger New Orleans–Metairie–Bogalusa...
, a personal and philosophical ally of Long's. Earl and Blanche separated, and he died before a
divorceDivorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
could be finalized.
Only a few months after his term as governor expired in 1960, Earl Long was nominated by Democratic voters to the
United States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, but he had suffered a fatal
heart attackMyocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while in the Baptist Hospital (later Rapides General Hospital) in
AlexandriaAlexandria is a city in and the parish seat of Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. It is the principal city of the Alexandria metropolitan area which encompasses all of Rapides and Grant parishes....
. He is interred at the Earl K. Long Memorial Park in Winnfield.
The House seat that Long had sought once had been held by his late brother George Long. Earl Long had defeated incumbent Congressman
Harold B. McSweenHarold Barnett McSween was a Louisiana businessman and politician who served in the now defunct 8th congressional district for two terms as a Democrat....
for renomination. McSween had been elected after the death of George Long. After Earl Long's death, the Democratic State Central Committee gave the nomination to McSween anyway. McSween was hence unopposed in the 1960 general election for a second consecutive term in the U.S. House. McSween was, however, defeated in the 1962 primary by his fellow liberal
Gillis William LongGillis William Long was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Louisiana and member of the Long family. Long served seven non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives but placed third in two campaigns for the Democratic gubernatorial nominations in 1963 and 1971...
, who claimed to be the rightful heir to Earl Long.
The American journalist A.J. Liebling wrote about Long's unusual career in a series of the articles for
The New YorkerThe New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
which were published in 1961 as
The Earl of Louisiana by Louisiana State University Press. ISBN 978-0-8071-3343-9.
Peoples and Kurtz biography
Morgan D. PeoplesMorgan Dewey Peoples was a historian who coauthored with Michael L. Kurtz the definitive biography of the late Louisiana Governor Earl Kemp Long. Peoples was a member of the Louisiana Tech University at Ruston history department faculty from 1965 until his retirement in 1985...
and Michael L. Kurtz, in
Earl K. Long: The Saga of Uncle Earl and Louisiana Politics, noted that the only thing certain about Long was his "unpredictability, for no one, and probably not even Long himself, knew what he would say or do next. Yet, whatever he did or said, Long acted from political motives he was a political animal through and through. 'While the rest of 'em are sleeping,' he once told his rivals, 'I'm politicking.'"
Legacy
While not attempting to dismantle the
Jim Crow lawsThe Jim Crow laws were state and local laws in the United States enacted between 1876 and 1965. They mandated de jure racial segregation in all public facilities, with a supposedly "separate but equal" status for black Americans...
of his state, he was notable for easing the governmental indignities placed on African-Americans and allowed a considerable number to vote. He also convinced the legislature to equalize teacher pay between the races. In 1959, in response to legislative attempts to restrict the suffrage even further, he called for full participation by blacks in Louisiana elections. He of course realized that he would get most of the black vote himself. He also quarreled with the state's leading segregationist in the 1950s, then state Senator
William M. RainachWilliam Monroe Rainach, Sr., known as Willie Rainach , was a state legislator from rural Summerfield in Claiborne Parish who led Louisiana's "Massive Resistance" to desegregation during the last half of the 1950s...
of Claiborne Parish in north Louisiana.
Long was reluctant to anoint a successor as governor in 1952 and 1960, for he hoped to return to office in 1956, which he did, and 1964, which was impossible because he died in 1960. William C. Havard, Rudolf Heberle, and
Perry H. HowardPerry Holbrook Howard was a sociologist known for his research in the field of Louisiana politics. He was a long-term professor at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1954. A native of Maine, Howard served for three years in the United States Navy in the...
, in
The Louisiana Election of 1960 viewed Long, accordingly:
"Long knew that a term of office on the part of a relatively inactive and conservative administration would create the type of situation for which his [populist] appeals were ideally suited. Furthermore, he had always played down the race issue (after all, there were [then] 150,000 Negro voters in the state), and he certainly clearly foresaw that the issue could furnish only a limited amount of mileage for political travel in the face of current national developments. In point of fact, his victory in the congressional primary within nine months of the second gubernatorial primary was indicative of the shrewdness of his calculation. If Earl Long had not died immediately following that congressional race . . . few observers doubted that he would have been an odds-on favorite to rebuild his machine sufficiently to capture the governorship in 1964. As it happens, the death of Earl Long leaves a tremendous hiatus -- in a sense deliberately created by Earl himself -- in the leadership of the Long faction. . . . "
The Earl K. Long Medical Center in Baton Rouge is named in his honor, as is the Earl K. Long Library at the
University of New OrleansThe University of New Orleans, often referred to locally as UNO, is a medium-sized public urban university located on the New Orleans Lakefront within New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It is a member of the LSU System and the Urban 13 association. Currently UNO is without a proper chancellor...
. There also is a music venue in Baton Rouge called Uncle Earl's named after him.
One of Long's dedicated followers,
John Kenneth Snyder, Sr.John Kenneth Snyder, Sr., sometimes known as Tillie Snyder , was a colorful, outspoken Democratic mayor of Alexandria, Louisiana, from 1973–1977 and again from 1982-1986....
, became a controversial mayor of Alexandria. Snyder attempted to govern in the Long style and repeatedly met the opposition of the city's business establishment.
Long appointed
John Sparks PattonJohn Sparks Patton was a Louisiana politician and educator who was an early advocate of taxpayer-funded school textbooks and a member of the Long faction of his state's Democratic Party....
, a Claiborne Parish school administrator, as superintendent of the Louisiana School for the Deaf. It was Patton who had worked for taxpayer-funded school textbooks, an idea implemented by Huey Long.
Long named two widows,
Lizzie P. ThompsonLizzie Price Thompson completed the term of her husband, C.W. Thompson, in the Louisiana House of Representatives, having served as the Webster Parish lawmaker from 1951-1952. Thompson died in the seventh year of his legislative service, and Governor Earl K. Long appointed Mrs. Thompson to finish...
of
DoylineDoyline is a village in southwestern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 841 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
and
Mary Smith GleasonMary Smith Gleason was an interim Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Webster Parish, who served from 1959–1960, after the death in office of her husband, E.D. Gleason.Mrs...
of the Evergreen Community near
ShongalooShongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
, to fill the Webster Parish seat in the Louisiana House after their husbands,
C.W. ThompsonClyde W. Thompson, known as C.W. Thompson , was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who served from 1944 until his death in office. He was briefly succeeded as representative by his widow, Lizzie P...
and
E.D. GleasonErnest Dewey Gleason, known as E. D. Gleason , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the Evergreen Community near Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Gleason served from 1952 until his death at the end of his second term...
, died consecutively in office.
Long was a classmate of Alexandria businessman
Morgan W. Walker, Sr.Morgan Wailes Walker, Sr. was a businessman from Alexandria, Louisiana, who was involved in dairying, farming, bus transportation, hotels, banking, and education. He was a director of the Trans-Continental Bus system, which operated in time in more than forty states. Walker introduced Guernsey...
(1893–1983), a co-founder of what became Continental Trailways. Walker was appointed by a Long intraparty rival, Governor
Jimmie DavisJames Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
to the State Mineral Board.
Long was an avid
boarWild boar, also wild pig, is a species of the pig genus Sus, part of the biological family Suidae. The species includes many subspecies. It is the wild ancestor of the domestic pig, an animal with which it freely hybridises...
hunter and used
Catahoula Leopard dogThe Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog or Catahoula cur is an American dog breed. It is named after Catahoula Parish in the state of Louisiana in the United States. The Catahoula is believed to have occupied North America the next longest after the dogs descended from Native American-created breeds...
s. Today, Catahoulas as well as
Blackmouth CurThe Blackmouth Cur is "a dog that is multitalented. Primarily BMCs are herding dogs able to hunt big or small game, and still be loving, gentle family dogs willing to protect the home" that has its origins in the Southern United States of America....
, Redmouth cur, Yellow blackmouth cur, and other
cur dogsCur as slang refers to a type of random-bred, or mixed-breed dog. This article deals with Cur as a breed.-Etymology:The derivation of the word "cur" dates from the 13th century. It is thought to be short for the Middle English "curdogge", which derives from the word "curren", meaning "to growl"...
are showcased at Uncle Earl's Hog Dog Trials, named after him and held in Winnfield. In the
alternate historyAlternate history or alternative history is a genre of fiction consisting of stories that are set in worlds in which history has diverged from the actual history of the world. It can be variously seen as a sub-genre of literary fiction, science fiction, and historical fiction; different alternate...
strategyStrategy, a word of military origin, refers to a plan of action designed to achieve a particular goal. In military usage strategy is distinct from tactics, which are concerned with the conduct of an engagement, while strategy is concerned with how different engagements are linked...
game,
Hearts of Iron IIHearts of Iron II is a grand strategy computer war game for the PC based upon its predecessor, Hearts of Iron. It takes place in the period from 1 January 1936 through 30 December 1947 , and allows the player to assume control of any one of over 175 nations of the time and guide its development...
, Earl Long is one of the few options for
head of stateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
of the
Confederate States of AmericaThe Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
In 1993, Long was posthumously inducted into the
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of FameThe Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, Louisiana, highlights the careers of more than a hundred of the state’s leading politicians and political journalists. Because three governors, Huey P. Long, Jr., Oscar K...
in his native Winnfield, along with two other Winnfield-area governors, Huey Long and Oscar K. Allen.
Louisiana
Public BroadcastingPublic broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
under president
Beth CourtneyElizabeth G. Courtney, known as Beth Courtney , has since 1985 been the president and CEO of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, her state's educational technology resources center based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana...
of Baton Rouge produced the documentary
Uncle Earl about the colorful former governor.
External links