Long is the name of the most powerful political family in Louisiana history. The Longs—all Democrats—had great influence in both Louisiana and national politics, beginning in the late 1920’s.
Huey Pierce Long
(1893-1935) began the family’s political rule. He had been a farm boy who never finished high school, but he became the Louisiana governor and a United States senator. Long, nicknamed the “Kingfish,” gained high office by calling for social reforms to benefit farmers and workers living in poverty. He adopted the slogan “Every Man a King.” But some opponents accused him of using dishonest or unlawful methods to attain and protect his political power.
Long was born on Aug. 30, 1893, near Winnfield, Louisiana. He passed the Louisiana bar exam after studying law briefly at Tulane University. He was elected governor in 1928. As governor, he built roads and hospitals, provided free textbooks, and established night schools for adults. In 1929, the Louisiana House of Representatives voted to impeach Long on corruption charges, but the state Senate acquitted him.
Long was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1930. He refused to resign as governor until 1932, when his handpicked successor was elected to the office and began to carry out Long’s programs according to his orders.
At first, Long supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt. But after Long failed to make the New Deal more radical in its economic policies, he bitterly attacked Roosevelt. In 1934, Long organized the Share-the-Wealth Society. The organization promised homestead allowances and a minimum annual income for every American family. The society’s plan gained Long a national following, and in 1935 he became a candidate for president. Long’s candidacy threatened to split the Democratic Party.
Long was shot on Sept. 8, 1935, in the State Capitol in Baton Rouge. He died two days later. Louisiana officials concluded that Long’s assassin was Carl A. Weiss, a physician. Members of Weiss’s family were political enemies of Long. But some experts doubt that Weiss was the assassin and believe that Long was hit by a ricochet bullet when his bodyguards killed Weiss. Long’s widow, Rose McConnell Long, completed his Senate term.
Long told of his rise to power in his autobiography, Every Man a King (1933). A statue of Long represents Louisiana in Statuary Hall in the United States Capitol.
Russell Billiu Long
(1918-2003), son of Huey Long, served in the U.S. Senate from 1948 to 1987. From 1966 to 1981, he served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee. In that post, Long was a shrewd leader who greatly influenced the nation’s taxes, Social Security, and welfare programs. He favored simplified tax returns, a heavier tax burden on the wealthy, and no change in the oil depletion allowance. He was born on Nov. 3, 1918, in Shreveport, Louisiana, and died on May 9, 2003.
Earl Kemp Long
(1895-1960), younger brother of Huey Long, served three times as governor of Louisiana—from 1939 to 1940, from 1948 to 1952, and from 1956 to 1960. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 10 days before he died. Earl and Huey became political foes in 1932 after Huey refused to name Earl as his organization’s candidate for lieutenant governor. Earl Long was born on Aug. 26, 1895, near Winnfield, Louisiana, and died on Sept. 5, 1960.
George Shannon Long
(1883-1958), a dentist and older brother of Huey Long, represented a rural Louisiana district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1953 until his death on March 22, 1958. He was born on Sept. 11, 1883, near Winnfield, Louisiana.
Gillis William Long
(1923-1985), cousin of Huey Long, represented a Louisiana district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1963 to 1965, and from 1973 until his death on Jan. 20, 1985. He was born near Winnfield, Louisiana, on May 4, 1923. His wife, Catherine Small Long, won a special election to fill her husband’s seat in Congress, serving from 1985 to 1987.
Speedy Oteria Long
(1928-2006), cousin of Huey Long, represented a Louisiana district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1965 to 1973. He was born on June 16, 1928, in La Salle Parish, Louisiana, and died on Oct. 6, 2006.
See also Louisiana (Huey P. Long) .
