T.
ABSTRACT
INTERVIEWEE: John A. & Arlene Mmahat COLLECTION:
4700.1184
IDENTIFICATION: John and Arlene Mmahat
were close friends of Gillis Long since the 1960s. They actively supported him in all of his
campaigns.
INTERVIEWER:
PROJECT: Gillis Long Biography
DATES: 16 August 1986 FOCUS
DATES: 1960-1985
ABSTRACT:
Tape
1729
John
Mmahat describes practical joke played on him on a
fishing trip; meeting Gillis Long for the first time in 1960 or >61 at a party thrown by
Hale Boggs; Russell Long getting Gillis a job at with the Small Business
Administration; Russell Long asking him to support Gillis for governor of
Louisiana; Gillis=s opposition for the
two-term amendment for governor; Arlene Mmhat recalls
meeting her future husband and Gillis at about the same time; John and Arlene
describe Gillis=s personality,
generosity, and demeanor; Gillis=s friendship with Sargent
Shriver; Gillis= ability to inspire
loyalty in people and his drive to succeed; inability of Gillis to be one of
Louisiana=s Acolorful@ politicians; Gillis as
a student at LSU; Floyd Long (Gillis=s brother) and the 1971 gubernatiorial
campaign; Gillis=s loyalty to his family
and friends; supporting Harry Connick for district
attorney of Orleans Parish; reasons lost his bid for governor in 1971; reasons
Gillis lost the 1963 gubernatorial election; importance of the black vote;
anti-Long sentiment in Louisiana; relationship of Russell and Gillis Long;
Washington, D. C. Mardi Gras Ball; fund raising; inability of Gillis Long to
project his charisma on television; importance of entertainment value of
Louisiana politicians; McKeithen=s use the issue of segregation to defeat deLesseps Morrison in the race for governor; Gillis's role
in the 1963 gubernatorial election; reasons Russell Long's opinion of
McKeithen; Gillis running for governor in 1971; describes G. Long's campaign
platform.
Gillis
Long's 1971 gubernatorial election platform; high cost of administration;
Gillis's belief in the importance of higher education and vocational education;
voucher system for education; growing independence of state legislators; role
of organized labor in state legislative election; labor leader Victor Bussie; end of Longism in
Louisiana and rise of the two-party system; impact of growing two-party system
on politics; complexity of Gillis Long; competence and loyalty of Gillis's
congressional office staff; Gillis's stabilizing impact on the Democratic
party; Super Bowl; negative impact of extreme liberalism on the Democratic
party and Gillis's attempt to bring the party back to the middle; keeping up
Gillis's personal phone directory; War on Poverty; Gillis traveling to foreign
countries to study their economic systems; Social Security; Gillis Long as a
mentor; poor management leading to poor worker productivity; problems with
management of American industry; Gillis's support for economic planning;
describes Gillis's personality; Gillis attempting to protect the varied
interests of his congressional district; Gillis's pragmatism; Gillis's refusal
to vote for civil rights legislation; animosity between John McKeithen and
Edwin Edwards; Gillis Long's discomfort with being on television.
Gillis
Long's heart problems; impact of his illness on his later political career;
making provisions for his staff before his death; Gillis's decision not to run
for governor in the election which put Dave Treen
into office (late 1970s); Gillis Long's administrative talent; Mmahat voting for Dave Treen for
governor; Treen becoming governor with the support of
Democrats; primary elections were personality contests; black voters in
Louisiana in the 1960s; bloc voting; legacy of Gillis Long; conflict between
Gillis's staff and Cathy Long; Cathy Vick's election as chairman of the State
Democratic party; Patti Tyson as Gillis's administrative assistant and getting
job with the Postal Rate Commission.
TAPES:
T1729,
T1730, T1731 TOTAL
PLAYING TIME: 3 hours
#
PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 106
pages
OTHER
MATERIALS:
RESTRICTIONS:
None