Huey Pierce Long was an American political leader. He was born in Winnfield, Louisiana. He attended local school before he became a successful traveling salesman. He then began attending and studying law at the University of Oklahoma and Tulane University. He practiced law starting in 1915 at Winnfield and Shreveport and specialized in compensation lawsuits. Later, in 1918, Long was elected into the State Railroad Commission later known as the Public Service Commission. He was reelected in 1924 and served as chairman. He was also attorney for the state in public utility litigation. During the 1920's, he was one of the first to use radio for political campaigning and wear a white suit in public. Long later ran for governor in 1924. Although Long was defeated when he ran for governor of Louisiana, he became governor 4 years later, campaigning under the catchphrase of "every man a king."" In 1928, Huey Long began his life in a political light.
In 1930, Huey Long was elected into the United States Senate. He went to Washington in 1932 after he was ensured that Alvin Olin King was elected to replace him as governor. And even though Long was no longer governor, he continued to be in effective control of Louisiana while he was senator. Though Long had no real authority, he continued to press bills through the Louisiana legislature, which remained controlled by his supporters. He was forceful in his efforts to fight The Great Depression. He was, originally, a supporter of Franklin Delano Roosevelt until he was not offered a federal post. In 1934, he created a Share Our Wealth program that proposed a heavy tax on the wealthy. In 1936, Huey Long announced he would be running against Roosevelt. On September 9, 1935, Long was shot once by Carl Weiss in the capitol building at Baton Rouge, son-in-law of long-time political opponent, Benjamin Pavy. Long died the following day from internal bleeding. Some say Huey Long should have recovered from the wound, and that doctor's incompetent attempts were on purpose.
