| Earl Long |
Article Index for Earl |
Website Links For Earl |
Information AboutEarl Long |
|
Earl K. Long was born in Winnfield, Louisiana . He was the younger brother of Huey Long , who preceded him into politics. Long became governor in 1939, after the resignation of Governor Richard Leche . Long failed to win election to a term of his own in 1940. He was defeated by Sam Jones of Lake Charles. Long was, however, elected governor to succeed Jimmie Davis and served from 1948 to 1952 . Term limited for the 1951-1952 elections, he ran for governor again in 1955-1956 and won an easy victory. In 1959, term-limited again, he unsuccessfully sought the lieutenant governorship on a "ticket" headed by fellow Democrat James A. Noe , Sr. Long was a testament to the persistence and power of the Long brand of populism in southern politics. He was a colorful character, often known as "Uncle Earl". And he was an uncle of U.S. Senator Russell B. Long . Beneath his public persona as a simple, plain-spoken rural Louisianan of little education was an astute political mind of considerable intelligence. While not attempting to dismantle the Jim Crow laws of his state, he was notable for easing the governmental indignities placed on African-Americans and allowed many of them to Vote . He also convinced the legislature to equalize teacher pay between the races. ECCENTRICITY AND HOSPITALIZATION Long was well known for eccentric behavior, leading some to suspect that he suffered from Bipolar Disorder . In his last term in office his wife and others attempted to remove him on the grounds of mental instability. He was never formally diagnosed with any Mental Illness , and a large part of the motivation for this effort may have been political; his wife's involvement may have been related to his Affair with Stripper Blaze Starr . Additionally, in his later years he was alleged to have suffered from Stroke s, resulting in further mental impairment. While confined in the Mental Hospital in Mandeville, Louisiana Long kept his Political Machine running via Telephone . His staff discovered that nothing in Louisiana law required him relinquishing power due to commitment to the mental hospital, so Long ordered the head of the state hospital system fired and replaced him with a crony who had Long released. After his term as governor expired in 1960, Earl Long was elected to the United States House Of Representatives , but he had suffered a Heart Attack and died before taking office in 1960 at the Baptist Hospital, Alexandria, Louisiana . He is buried at the Earl K. Long Memorial Park, Winnfield, Louisiana . The prominent American journalist A.J. Liebling wrote about Long's unusual career in a series of the articles for '' The New Yorker '' which were published 1961 as The Earl of Louisiana. 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 Orleans . TRIVIA In the Alternate History Strategy game, Hearts Of Iron II , Earl Long is one of the few options, for Head Of State of the Confederate States SEE ALSO |