Huey Pierce Long Jr (1893 - 1935)

Born 30 Aug 1893 in Winnfield, Winn, Louisiana, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Rose (McConnell) Long — married 12 Apr 1913 in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana

Died 10 Sep 1935 at age 42 in Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States

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Preceded by 39th Governor Oramel Simpson Preceded by Joseph E. Ransdell

Huey Long 40th Governor of Louisiana 1928—1932 US Senator (Class 2)[1] from Louisiana 1932—1935

Succeeded by 41st Governor Alvin Olin King Succeeded by Rose McConnell Long

Biography

Huey Long Jr is Notable.

Huey Pierce Long, Jr., Democrat, Baptist, attorney, and politician, served as the 40th Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932. He was elected to and served in the United States Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. "He remains a controversial figure in Louisiana history, with critics and supporters debating whether he was a dictator, demagogue, or populist." ^[2]

Birth & Family

Huey Pierce Long Jr. was born on August 30, 1893, at Winnfield, Winn Parish, Louisiana.^[3] He was on the census of 6 June 1900 at Winnfield, Louisiana in the home of his parents, Huey and Callie Tison Long and most of his large family of siblings.^[4]

As a young traveling salesman, Long met, courted and married Rose McConnell. Their April 12, 1913 marriage^[5] would produce three children:^[2]

1. Rose McConnell Long McFarland (1917–2006)
2. Russell Billiu Long (1918–2003)
3. Palmer Reid Long (1921–2010)

Kingfish

Huey Long gave himself the nickname "The Kingfish," supposedly, after the character George "Kingfish" Stevens, a smooth-talking schemer, (played by actor Tim Moore) in the radio program Amos 'n' Andy. Perhaps it was just a case of utilizing the idiom "big fish in a small pond." When he went to Washington as a Senator, he stated, "I’m a small fish here in Washington. But I’m the Kingfish to the folks down in Louisiana."^[6]

Government Programs

In 1929 the first concrete road in Louisiana was built, as part of Huey Long's one hundred million dollar highway program. It ran from the community of Joyce to the junction of Dugdemona Bayou in Winn Parish.^[7] In his four-year term as governor, Long increased the miles of paved highways in Louisiana from 331 to 2,301, plus an additional 2,816 miles of gravel roads. By 1936, the infrastructure program begun by Long had completed some 9,000 miles of new roads, doubling the state's road system. He built 111 bridges, and started construction on the first bridge over the lower Mississippi River, the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish, near New Orleans. He built the new Louisiana State Capitol, at the time the tallest building in the South. All of these construction projects provided thousands of much-needed jobs during the Great Depression.^[8]

Huey Long believed that everyone has a right to an education. He meant everyone: black, white, rich, poor. When he became Governor he pushed through the legislature a bill providing free textbooks to every Louisiana student. In addition he saw that every community had a school and that busing was provided to get the students to school. He expanded the Louisiana State University system and provided scholarships. He created adult vocational schools, and an adult education program which taught 100,000 illiterate adults to read.^[9]

Assassination

Senator Huey P. Long was shot on Sunday, September 8, 1935, at 9:20 p.m., in the corridor of the Louisiana Capitol Building. His alleged assailant, Dr. Carl A. Weiss, was shot and killed immediately by Long's bodyguards. The former Governor died about thirty hours later at 4:04 a.m. Monday, September 10.^[10]

On the night of his assassination, a special session of the House of Representatives had been called to push forward bills which Long favored. Some of these were designed to thwart his political enemies. The session closed for the night. As he hurried along the corridors of the Capitol Building, Long called to others, "Everybody be here in the morning. Tell everybody to be here." Dr. Carl A. Weiss stepped up. It was reported that he shot one bullet, which traveled through the senator, puncturing a lung and other internal organs.

In the immediate moments after the shot, a tussle seems to have taken place between Weiss and State Police Officer Murphy Roden, who was shot through the hand. Long's bodyguards drew their weapons and shot Carl Weiss dozens of times, killing him immediately.

Long was taken to the hospital. The best doctors in the country were called. Surgery was performed. Blood transfusions were given. About midnight Monday morning, he became unresponsive. He died at 4:04 a.m., surrounded by his family and his political friends.

There was no modern crime scene investigation unit in 1935. No autopsies were performed on either Long or Weiss. The gun disappeared. There was a brief coroner's inquiry, but questions remained and still do to this day. Why did Weiss commit this act? He was not a fan of Long, but his known political reasons didn't seem adequate for the finality of the action taken. Was it possible that Long was actually shot by his own bodyguard over-reacting to an innocent action by Weiss? Weiss's body was exhumed in 1991 to see if modern science could solve the mystery. The results of the post-exhumation investigation were inconclusive; the mystery remains. A modern police investigation conducted about the same time concluded he was shot once, the bullet passing completely through his body and exiting through his back. Said Donald R. Moreau, the state police lieutenant who headed the renewed inquiry, "There was one assassin. That assassin was Dr. Carl A. Weiss."^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]}

Burial

The body of Senator Huey Pierce Long lay in state in the rotunda of the Louisiana Capitol Building in Baton Rouge.^[17] Huey Long had been the driving force behind the construction of the new Louisiana Capitol Building, where he was shot, and on September 12, 1935, he was buried in the Capitol Gardens, in Baton Rouge. The Gardens are described as "one of the finest examples of traditional late 19th-century English design in a public garden." ^{[citation needed]} Edward Avery "Ned" McIlhenny was responsible for much of the garden, and planted over twelve thousand native Louisiana plants on the grounds. Some of the trees and shrubs are placed between broad promenades in front of the Capitol. Paths are radiating from a statue of Senator Long that was erected on his grave site in 1940, five years after his burial there.^[18] His Find A Grave Memorial has photos, including one of the statue in the garden.^[19] In addition to his burial site, there is a memorial erected by the Daughters of the American Revolution on the courthouse square of Winnfield.^[7]

Legacy

Columnist Drew Pearson summed up Huey Long in his proposed epitaph:

He was a crook -- but he had no money; a corrupt politician -- but the cost of government in Louisiana was third lowest in the country; a demagogue -- but he kept his campaign promises; a hillbilly --- but he had no racial prejudices; an ignoramus -- but he ran a "business" administration; a dictator -- but he broadened the suffrage; an opportunist -- but he had ideals."^[20]

Despite the claims of his enemies, there is no doubt that Huey Long improved conditions in Louisiana. Besides roads, bridges and education, he improved the state's healthcare system. He created an improved economic climate in Louisiana that gave the poor opportunities to improve their lives. The year he died he repealed the poll tax resulting in a 75 per cent increase in voters between 1927 and 1936.

Sources

1. ↑ Huey Long was elected in 1930, but continued to serve as Governor of Louisiana, until finally taking his Senate seat resulting in a vacancy March 4, 1931 – January 25, 1932. He then died in office, vacant September 10, 1935 – January 31, 1936 when his wife was appointed to succeed him.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Huey Long at Wikipedia.
3. ↑ U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Huey Pierce Long Jr.
4. ↑ Year: 1900; Census Place: Police Jury Ward 1, Winn, Louisiana; Roll: 586; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0113; FHL microfilm: 1240586. 1900 US Census. Huey P Long.
5. ↑ Thomas O. Harris, The Kingfish (New Orleans, LA: Pelican Publishing, 1938).
6. ↑ This is frequently quoted, including here, as part of Long Legacy Project. "Huey Long's Life & Times | Huey Long Timeline." (accessed 26 May 2009).
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Richard Briley III, Briley's Memorial History & Cemetery Directory of Winn Parish, Louisiana pp. 18,19, 24. online at Family Search.org.
8. ↑ Huey Long at New World Encyclopedia.
9. ↑ Long Legacy Project, "Huey Long's Life & Times: Education, http://www.hueylong.com/programs/education.php#literacy. Accessed May 10, 2015.
10. ↑ "Louisiana, Deaths Index, 1850-1875, 1894-1956," index, FamilySearch LADeaths: accessed 2 May 2015), Huey Pierce Long, 10 Sep 1935; citing Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, certificate number 10587, State Archives, Baton Rouge; FHL microfilm 2,180,250.
11. ↑ Assorted articles, Morning Advocate, Extra edition, Monday, September 9, 1935, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
12. ↑ Assorted articles, Morning Advocate, Extra edition, Monday, September 10, 1935, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
13. ↑ Assorted articles, The Ruston Daily Leader, Monday, September 9, 1935, Ruston, Louisiana.
14. ↑ ""Who Shot Huey Long?," The New York Times, June 27, 1991.
15. ↑ "Scientist Says Report Casts Doubt on Story Of Huey Long Death," The New York Times, February 22, 1992.
16. ↑ "New Inquiry, Old Findings in Huey Long's Killing," The New York Times, June 6, 1992.
17. ↑ "Body of Long Lies in State in Capitol, Public Files Past." The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, LA) Thursday, September 12, 1935, p. 1. Accessed at GenealogyBank.
18. ↑ Mary Fonseca. Louisiana Gardens. p. 23.
19. ↑ Huey Long memorial at Find A Grave.
20. ↑ Drew Pearson and Robert S. Allen, "The Washington Merry-Go-Round" Syndicated Column, New York, United Feature Syndicate, Inc., Sept 17, 1935

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