33 Facts About Earl Long

Earl Kemp Long was an American politician and the 45th governor of Louisiana, serving three nonconsecutive terms.

Earl Long departed from other Southern politicians of his time by promoting a progressive agenda, expanding school-lunch programs, teacher pay, public-works projects, and minority voting rights.

Earl Long was nominated in the summer of 1960 to the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 8th congressional district, and was running unopposed in the general election, but he died before he could take office.

Not long after Huey Long's assassination Earl Long handily defeated fellow Democrat Clement Murphy Mos in the primary held for lieutenant governor in January 1936.

Richard W Leche of New Orleans was elected governor in 1936, but he resigned in scandal in 1939, and Long succeeded for 11 months to the governorship.

Earl Long failed to win a gubernatorial term of his own in the election of 1940.

In 1944, Long did not run for governor as many had expected, but instead for his earlier position as lieutenant governor on an intraparty ticket with former US Representative Lewis L Morgan of Covington in St Tammany Parish across Lake Pontchartrain from New Orleans.

Earl Long's previous elected position was as a member and president of the Iberia Parish School Board.

Earl Long blamed his failure to become lieutenant governor in 1944 on Louisiana Secretary of State Wade O Martin Jr.

In 1957, Earl Long pushed through a new law, taking jurisdiction of insurance and voting machines from the secretary of state's office and setting up two new patronage positions.

In 1948, Earl Long was elected governor to succeed Jimmie Davis.

Earl Long defeated his old rival Sam Jones by a wide margin.

Earl Long suffered a major heart attack in 1950, but recovered.

In 1950, Earl Long struck a deal with his intraparty rival, Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison, to return home rule to the Crescent City, which at the time was being virtually governed out of Baton Rouge.

At a stormy session of the state Democratic committee, Earl Long attacked Perez and Grace for attacking Boggs, but prevented Boggs from publicly defending himself.

In 1956, Earl Long vetoed funding for the work undertaken by the LSU historian Edwin Adams Davis to establish the state archives.

Earl Long eased the governmental indignities placed on African Americans and allowed a considerable number to vote.

Earl Long convinced the legislature to equalize teacher pay between the races.

Earl Long knew that he would attract most of the limited black vote, as most were still restricted by barriers to voter registration.

Earl Long supported another ally, Douglas Fowler of Coushatta, who won the position in 1960 after it was established as an elective office.

On three occasions, Long tapped Lorris M Wimberly of Bienville Parish as Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Under this scenario, Long planned to run again for governor in the December 1959 Democratic primary, but by leaving office early could avoid Louisiana's ban on governors' succeeding themselves.

Earl Long won the January 1960 runoff election over Alexandria Mayor W George Bowdon Jr.

Earl Long was a master campaigner, who attracted large crowds when his caravan crisscrossed the state.

Earl Long was determined to get every vote possible, so tried to remain independent of local rivalries.

Williamson's son, Don W Williamson, later recalled Earl Long coming into their town of Vivian and picking up his father to join the Long entourage for a trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas, where they enjoyed drinking buttermilk and horse racing, as well as illicit attractions in the resort city.

Earl Long demanded absolute loyalty among his inner circle, often saying that he did not need them to back him when he was right, but when he was wrong.

That year, Earl Long ran for lieutenant governor, but lost to Taddy Aycock.

Dodd noted with humor that Earl Long had become irritated with McCrory after inviting him on Earl Long's intraparty ticket in 1956:.

Uncle Earl Long almost went crazy when he had to listen to.

Earl Long was well known for eccentric behavior, leading some to suspect that he had bipolar disorder.

Only a few months after his term as governor expired in 1960, Earl Long ran for the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana's 8th congressional district.

In 1962, McSween was defeated in the primary election by his fellow liberal Democrat, Gillis William Earl Long, who claimed to be the rightful heir to the Earl Long dynasty.