Long, Huey P.

Long, Huey P. (Pierce)

(1893–1935) governor, U.S. senator, political boss, demagogue; born in Winnfield, La. Admitted to the bar in 1915, he came to prominence during his ten years with the Louisiana Railroad (later Public Service) Commission, where he gained the reputation of being a populist who worked on behalf of the rural poor. As a Democrat, he was elected governor of Louisiana (1928–32) and to the U.S. Senate (1932–35), all the while building up a formidable political machine. Adored by his constituents for the services he delivered, "the Kingfish" was reviled both in the state and nationally for corruption and dictatorial practices; by 1934 he literally controlled every level of government in Louisiana. A founder of the "Share the Wealth" movement, he announced his plan to run for president of the U.S.A. but was assassinated in 1935, allegedly by a doctor opposed to his corrupt ways.

The Cambridge Dictionary of American Biography, by John S. Bowman. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995. Reproduced with permission.

Long, Huey P.

(1893–1935) infamous “Kingfish” of Louisiana politics. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 1607]

See: Demagoguery

Allusions—Cultural, Literary, Biblical, and Historical: A Thematic Dictionary. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.