Huey Pierce Long, Jr.
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40th Louisiana Governor
Huey Pierce Long, Jr. (August 30, 1893 – September 10,
1935)
Nicknamed The Kingfish
American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana.
A Democrat, he was noted for his radical populist
policies.
He served as Governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932
and as a U.S. senator from 1932 to 1935. Though a
backer of Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential
election, Long split with Roosevelt in June 1933 and
allegedly planned to mount his own presidential bid.
Long created the Share Our Wealth program in 1934,
with the motto "Every Man a King," proposing new wealth
redistribution.
He was an ardent critic of the Federal Reserve System.
Charismatic and immensely popular for his social reform
programs and willingness to take forceful action.
At the height of his popularity, the colorful and
flamboyant Long was shot on September 8, 1935, at the
Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge; he died two
days later at the age of 42.
Alvin Olin King
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Alvin Olin King (June 21, 1890 – January 21,
1958)
Louisiana politician allied with the popular Long
faction of the state Democratic Party.
Democrat
Served as Governor from January 25, 1932 until
May 10, 1932
King was born in Leoti in Wichita County in
western Kansas.
He attended Tulane University Law School in
New Orleans and began the practice of law.
King was elected to the Louisiana State Senate
from Calcasieu Parish in the southwestern part
of the state and rose to president pro tempore
of that body.
When Huey Pierce Long, Jr., vacated the
governorship for a seat in the United States
Senate, King replaced him as governor for the
five months remaining in Long's elected term.
After leaving office, King reverted to his legal
profession.
Before his death in Lake Charles, King had
become president of the Louisiana Bar
Association. he was a Methodist.
Oscar Kelly Allen, Sr.
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Oscar Kelly Allen, Sr. (August 8,
1882 - January 28, 1936), also
known as O. K. Allen
Democratic governor of
Louisiana from 1932 to 1936.
He was a key lieutenant in the
political machine of Huey Pierce
Long, Jr., that dominated the
state during the first half of the
1930s.
Allen succeeded Alvin Olin
King, who served briefly in the
state's highest office after Long
left the governorship to take a
seat in the United States
Senate.
James Albert Noe Sr.
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43rd Louisiana Governor
James Albert Noe Sr. (December 21,
1890 – October 18, 1976) of Monroe
Served for nearly five months as a
Democratic Governor of Louisiana after
the death of Oscar K. Allen on January
28, 1936.
Served from January 28, 1936 until
May 12, 1936.
During Noe's brief tenure, he
appointed Huey Long's widow, Rose
McConnell Long, to finish Long's seat in
the U.S. Senate.
Worked toward getting federal money
for state highways and establishing a
state welfare office.
Prominent New Orleans businessman,
succeeded his father in running the
family-owned radio and television
stations.
Noe died in Houston, from
complications from a heart condition
and is buried alongside his wife in
Monroe.
Richard Webster Leche
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Richard Webster Leche (May 15, 1898 - February 22, 1965)
was the Democratic governor of Louisiana from 1936 until
1939.
Leche was the first governor of Louisiana sentenced to
prison.
Served from May 12, 1936 until June 26, 1939
After Huey Long was assassinated in September 1935, the
Long organization was left without a leader and without a
candidate for the 1936 gubernatorial election.
Despite his relative obscurity, Leche was able to beat antiLong candidate Cleveland Dear with the aid of the stillpowerful Long political machine.
While he continued Long's program of road-building, free
textbooks, and expansion of hospital and educational
facilities, Leche and his administration were far less
committed to wealth redistribution and social programs
than Long had been.
In a reconciliation with the administration of President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Leche promised to cease using
Long's Share Our Wealth rhetoric and to support New Deal
programs. In return, Roosevelt dropped investigation of
the Long machine on tax evasion charges, and restored
federal patronage to Louisiana. Once the corruption
became too blatant, though, Leche and several of his
cronies were indicted in what were termed the "Louisiana
Scandals." Beset by scandal and accusations, Leche
resigned the governorship on June 26, 1939; he was
succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor Earl K. Long.
Richard Leche's legal problems began when Chester
Martin, a highway engineer who had his pay skimmed by
Leche's newspaper, mimeographed receipts of the
payments and a written summary of his allegations. He left
them on the desks of every state legislature member the
morning before the legislature came into session.
Earl Kemp Long
(1st Term)
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Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 –
September 5, 1960)
Younger brother of Huey P. Long
Politician and three-time Democratic
governor of Louisiana, who termed
himself the "last of the red hot
poppas" of politics, referring to his
stump-speaking skills.
He served from 1939-1940, 19481952, and 1956-1960.
He was also lieutenant governor,
having served from 1936-1939, but
he failed in three other bids to be
elected lieutenant governor.
Sam H. Jones
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Sam Houston Jones (July 15,
1897 – February 7, 1978)
Was the reform Democratic
governor of Louisiana from
1940 to 1944.
Defeated the legendary Earl
Kemp Long in the 1940
Democratic primary. Long
turned the tables on Jones and
soundly defeated him in the
1948 party primary.
Jimmy Davis
(1st Term)
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James Houston Davis
(September 11, 1899 November 5, 2000), better
known as Jimmie Davis.
Was a noted singer of both
sacred and popular songs.
Served two nonconsecutive
terms as a Democratic
governor of Louisiana (19441948 and 1960-1964).
Earl Kemp Long
(1st Term)
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Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 –
September 5, 1960)
Younger brother of Huey P. Long
Politician and three-time Democratic
governor of Louisiana, who termed
himself the "last of the red hot
poppas" of politics, referring to his
stump-speaking skills.
He served from 1939-1940, 19481952, and 1956-1960.
He was also lieutenant governor,
having served from 1936-1939, but
he failed in three other bids to be
elected lieutenant governor.
Robert Kennon, Sr.
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Robert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon
(August 12, 1902 - January 11, 1988), was a
"good-government" reform
Democratic governor of the U.S. state of
Louisiana
Served from 1952-1956. He failed to win a
second nonconsecutive term in the 1963
Democratic primary.
After the Brown v. Board of Education decision of
May 17, 1954, Governor Kennon ordered the
continued enforcement of laws relating to
segregation.
He vowed that the state would provide a public
school system "which will include segregation in
fact."
Desegregation, however, began under Kennon's
successors, Earl Kemp Long and James Houston
"Jimmie" Davis, but it was a long process, not
completed in Louisiana until August 1970.
Earl Kemp Long
(3rd Term)
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Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 –
September 5, 1960)
Younger brother of Huey P. Long
Politician and three-time Democratic
governor of Louisiana, who termed
himself the "last of the red hot
poppas" of politics, referring to his
stump-speaking skills.
He served from 1939-1940, 19481952, and 1956-1960.
He was also lieutenant governor,
having served from 1936-1939, but
he failed in three other bids to be
elected lieutenant governor.
Jimmy Davis
(2nd Term)
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James Houston Davis
(September 11, 1899 November 5, 2000), better
known as Jimmie Davis.
Was a noted singer of both
sacred and popular songs who
served two nonconsecutive
terms as a Democratic governor
of Louisiana (1944-1948 and
1960-1964).
John Julian McKeithen
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John Julian McKeithen (May 28,
1918 – June 4, 1999) was the
53rd Governor of Louisiana,
Served from 1964 to 1972. A
Democrat from the town of
Columbia.
He was the first governor of his
state to serve two consecutive
terms.
As governor, he pushed for the
construction of the Louisiana
Superdome in New Orleans.
• Photos and text
from Wikipedia
• Background photo of
the State Capitol in
Baton Rouge by Jude
Dubois