Huey Long: America’s most famous Public Service Commissioner

Huey Long, the “Kingfish” of Louisiana in the 1920s and 1930s was a skilled and shameless politician who had a plan to win the presidency of the United States, if he hadn’t been gunned down by an assassin in 1936 (or his own bodyguards, depending on who’s telling the story). He’s a fascinating character. The definitive biography of Huey Long was written by T. Harry Williams. An excellent read, but no longer in print, but if you’re a student of Southern history and ever see a copy, snatch it up. I won’t try to tell his story here, but let’s just say he was equal parts corrupt and brilliant, financing his campaigns through deductions from state employees’ paychecks. It’s said that he’d…

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