T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History Collection

 

ABSTRACT

 

INTERVIEWEE NAME: John Breaux                        COLLECTION:  4700.1201

 

IDENTIFICATION:  Louisiana Representative and Senator.  Knew Gillis Long.           

 

INTERVIEWER:  Gary Huey

 

PROJECT:  Gillis Long biography

 

DATES:  August 3, 1987                                                FOCUS DATES:  1960s-1980s

 

ABSTRACT:

 

Tape 1753, Side A

 

Breaux met Gillis Long in the late 1960s; at that time, Gillis was running for governor and Breaux was working for Edwin Edwards; Gillis had a reputation as an aggressive political figure; Bennet Johnston; Breaux and Long ran for Congress in 1972, running in adjoining districts; Breaux believes that Long lost in 1971 to Johnston and Edwards because people might have been looking for a young face; Long's name helped him out in that he needed no introduction and it gave him instant media recognition; Long was excellent at fund-raising; Long was able to get money from people that didn't philosophically agree with him; Breaux feels that Gillis Long should get credit for his involvement in the Democratic Leadership Council and in trying to get elected officials involved in party politics; Gillis Long's weakness was that all he did and thought about was politics; O'Neill; Jim Wright; Long was practically running the Rules Committee; one wonders why Gillis Long was not better known; Tom Foley; Tony Prello[?]; Long had a good network of people; Howard Hughes; Long provided good constituent services; Long had a difficult district; Gillis overworked himself;

 

 

 

 

TAPES: T1753              TOTAL PLAYING TIME:  1 hour

 

# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 20

 

OTHER MATERIALS:  Transfer and copyright to Gary Huey

 

RESTRICTIONS:  None