Home > Huey Long

Long was born in Winnfield, Louisiana into a large farming family. He attended local schools before leaving in 1910 and becoming a salesman. He then attended the University of Oklahoma and Tulane UniversityTulane University is a private, nonsectarian university headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana. 20th century view of Tulane's Gibson Hall Tulane is home to colleges and schools centered around liberal arts, sciences and the professions. A common Faculty, passing the bar exam in 1915Events January 12 The Rocky Mountain National Park is established by an act of Congress. January 12 United States House of Representatives rejects proposal to give women the right to vote. January 13 An earthquake (6. 8 in Richter scale) in Avezzano, Ital. He practiced law in ShreveportShreveport, Louisiana is the third largest metropolitan city in the state of Louisiana, USA. It is located in Caddo Parish, and as of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 200,145. Bossier City lies across the Red River in Bossier Parish and and specialised in compensation suits. He was elected chairman of the Louisiana Railroad Commission in 1918Events January January 8 President Woodrow Wilson announces his " Fourteen Points" for the aftermath of World War I. February February 3 The Twin Peaks Tunnel begins service in San Francisco as the longest streetcar tunnel in the world (11,920 feet long).. That body was renamed the Public Service Commission in 1921Events January 2 The first religious radio broadcast ( KDKA AM in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) January 2 Spanish liner Santa Isabel sinks off Villa Garcia 244 dead January 2 DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park San Francisco opens. January 20 Republic of Turke. In the 1920sCenturies: 19th century 20th century 21st century Decades: 1870s 1880s 1890s 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s Years: 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 Events and trends Technology John Logie Baird invents the first working t he was one of the early adopters of radioFor other uses see: radio (disambiguation Radio is a technology that allows the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of light. Radio waves Radio waves are a form of electromagnetic radiation, and are for political campaigning and also took to always wearing a white linen suit in public. He ran for governor of Louisiana in 1924 but failed, although he was re-elected to the Public Service Commission. However, in 1928 he was elected Louisiana governor, campaigning under the slogan of "every man a king, but no one wears a crown." Long took the nickname "Kingfish" after a character on the popular Amos & Andy radio program.

Once in office Long financed a wide-ranging program of public works; over 12,000 miles of road were paved and education funding was greatly increased. The program was financed by increased taxes on the rich and on big business. Long was determined to have his own way and, bypassing the state legislature, he put considerable effort into ensuring that his own people controlled every level of the state political system. His efforts in Louisiana were the subject of an IRS investigation; he had increased annual state government expenditure three-fold and the state debt over ten-fold. In 1929 he survived an attempt to have him impeached. It was often alleged that Long had concentrated power to the point where he had become a dictator of sorts; his consolidation of power was quite unprecedented.

In 1930 he was elected to the United States Senate. He went to Washington in 1932 after having ensured that Alvin Olin King was elected to replace him as governor. Long continued to be in effective control of Louisiana while he was a senator. Though he had no constitutional authority to do so, he continued to draft and press bills through the Louisiana legislature, which remained controlled by his supporters. He was vigorous in his efforts to try to combat the damages of the Great Depression.

He was a vocal supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1932 election, but when Long was not offered a federal post he turned against him. In 1933 he was part of the three week Senate filibuster against the Glass-Steagall Act. In another famous filibuster on June 12- 13, 1935, Long made the longest speech of his Senate career. The speech took 15 1/2 hours and was filled by 150,000 words. [1] In 1934 he created the Share Our Wealth program, proposing heavy new taxes on the super-rich. Long was along with Norman Thomas and Francis Townsend, one of major influences in the creation of Social Security in the United States. He positioned himself to run against Roosevelt in the 1936 elections, announcing his bid in August, 1935.

On September 8, 1935 he was shot once by Carl Weiss in the Capitol building at Baton Rouge. Weiss was immediately shot dead by Long's bodyguards. (Persistent rumors allege that Weiss actually had no gun and only struck Long with his hand, and Long was accidentally shot by his own guards when they opened fire on Weiss.) Weiss was the son-in-law of Judge Benjamin Pavy , a long-time political opponent of Long. Long died two days later from internal bleeding following an incompetent attempt to close the wounds by Dr. Arthur Vidrine.

Some say that Huey should have recovered from the wounds, and that his doctors killed him. Huey's brother, Earl Long, was elected governor of Louisiana on three occasions. Huey Long's son Russell B. Long also became a Senator.

The book All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren, charting the corruption of a politician, Willie Stark, is clearly based on Long. The same is said to apply to the hero of Sinclair Lewis' novel It Can't Happen Here.

Huey P. Long was also the subject of an early documentary film by Ken Burns, who went on to direct epic documentaries about jazz, baseball, and the American Civil War.

Disney comic strip artist and creator of the Huey, Dewey and Louie ducklings, Al Taliaferro, named Huey after Huey Long.

Long is said to have helped compose the LSU marching band pregame song.

Long's career is the subject of the biographical song "Kingfish" by Randy Newman.