page_title: Huey Long
section_title: Accomplishments as governor
hierarchical_section_title: Huey Long / Louisiana Governorship (1928–32) / Accomplishments as governor
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Turm leuchtet nachts und spiegelt sich im See.English: Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Tower lights at night, reflected in lake.Français&#160;: Capitole de l&#39;État de Louisiane, Bâton-Rouge, Louisiane. Lumières de la tour de nuit, refléte dans la lac.
context_page_description: Huey Pierce Long Jr., byname "The Kingfish", was an American politician who served as the 40th governor of Louisiana from 1928 to 1932 and as a member of the United States Senate from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. A populist member of the Democratic Party, he rose to national prominence during the Great Depression for his vocal criticism of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal from the left. As the political leader of Louisiana, he commanded wide networks of supporters and often took forceful action. Celebrated as a populist benefactor or conversely denounced as a fascistic demagogue, Long remains a controversial figure.
  Long was born in the poor north of Louisiana in 1893. After working as a traveling salesman and attending multiple colleges, Long entered the bar in Louisiana. Following a brief private legal career, in which he represented poor plaintiffs against corporations, Long was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission. As Commissioner, Long often prosecuted large corporations, such as Standard Oil.
context_section_description: Long was unique among southern populist leaders in that he achieved tangible progress. T. Harry Williams concluded that "the secret of Long's power, in the final analysis, was not in his machine or his political dealings but in his record - he delivered something." Robert Penn Warren stated it more bluntly: "Dictators, always give something for what they get."
  As governor, Long created a public works program for Louisiana that was unprecedented in the South, constructing numerous roads, bridges, hospitals, schools and state buildings that have endured into the 21st century. During his four years as governor, Long increased paved highways in Louisiana from 331 to 2,301 miles (533 to 3,703 km), plus an additional 2,816 miles (4,532 km) of gravel roads. By 1936, the infrastructure program begun by Long had completed some 9,700 miles (15,600 km) of new roads, doubling the size of the state's road system. He built 111 bridges and started construction on the first bridge over the Mississippi entirely in Louisiana, the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson Parish, near New Orleans. All of these projects provided thousands of much-needed jobs during the Great Depression, including 22,000—or 10 percent—of the nation's highway workers. Including the Airline Highway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Long's road network gave Louisiana some of the most modern roads in the country and formed the state's highway system. Long also constructed the Charity Hospital in New Orleans. Long also built a new 
  State Capitol, which at 450 feet tall remains the tallest capitol, state or federal, in the United States. Upon its completion, Long claimed, "Only one building compares with [the Capitol] in architecture. That’s St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome, Italy." Long's massive infrastructure spending greatly increased the state government's debt. From 1928 to 1935 it rose from 11 million to 150 million.
  Long also became an ardent supporter of the state's primary public university, Louisiana State University (LSU). Having been unable to attend, Long now regarded it as "his" university. He greatly increased LSU's funding, expanded its enrollment, and authorized financial support for poorer students. He also intervened in the university's affairs, choosing its president and expelling seven students who criticized him in the school newspaper. He constructed several new buildings, including a field-house that reportedly contained the longest pool in the United States. Long also founded a LSU Medical School in New Orleans. Although he claimed it was to educate poor doctors, it may have been based on a personal vendetta against Tulane University, which had declined to grant him an honorary degree. To generate excitement for the university, he converted the school's military marching band into a flashy "Show Band of the South". Quadrupling the band's size, he also hired Costa Rican composer Castro Carazo as the band director. Long worked with Carazo on several new songs, many of which are still played today. Long expressed his avid support for the school's football program, nearly doubling the size of the stadium. He would often tread the sidelines during football games and give locker-room talks to the team, even having the football team run a play he created on one occasion. He also arranged for lowered train-fares so students could travel to out-of-town games. Long's contributions resulted in LSU gaining a class A accreditation from the Association of American Universities.
  Long's free textbooks, school-building program, and school busing improved and expanded the public education system. His night schools taught 100,000 adults to read. His provision of free textbooks resulted in a 20% increase in school enrollment. He is also credited with establishing the first penitentiary-rehabilitation program in Louisiana history.
caption: Long constructed a new capitol building, seen here in 1932. At 450 feet, it remains the tallest capitol in the United States.
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