L.O. Fusilier 4700.1191

T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History Collection

ABSTRACT

INTERVIEWEE NAME: L.O. Fusilier COLLECTION: 4700.1191

IDENTIFICATION: Friend of Gillis Long. Louisiana lawyer.

INTERVIEWER: Gary Huey

PROJECT: Gillis Long biography

DATES: August 7, 1986 FOCUS DATES: 1940s-1980s

ABSTRACT:

Tape 1738, Side A

Gillis Long lost to McKeithen and Speedy Long when he ran for governor; eighth district was good for Long because of his liberal view; Long served seats on Congress; Fusilier thinks the Long name helped him win his first seat in Congress; afterwards, Long=s liberalism gave him fame; Long was interested in integration and civil rights which caused him to lose the eighth district; Fusilier thinks it may have had more to do with economic conservatism than with racial issues; Long ran again in 1971 for the governorship and lost to Edwards; Edwin Edwards put more money into the campaign and had more votes from African-Americans and with Louisianians of French descent; Fusilier remembers when he was a freshman at LSU in 1942 and Gillis Long befriended him; Fusilier then started law school in 1945, but Long had already finished law school; he (Fusilier) finished law school before he was 21 years old; Long decided not to run for the governorship in 1980 against Treen; the Long name allowed Gillis to get away more with liberalism; Gillis Long overworked and this led to his death; Long also felt that there was too much spending on defense and not enough on local farmers and unemployment; Fusilier believes that Long=s main contribution to Louisiana was trying to keep the National Democrats from punishing Louisiana when they were in power; economic class and social differences; national debt and national spending; Fusilier believes that Long supported the Vietnam War;

Tape 1738, Side B

Gillis Long talked over people=s heads many times; Long=s work days;

TAPES: 1(T1738) TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 1 hour

# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 25