ABSTRACT

INTERVIEWEE NAME: Don Devol #4700.0009

IDENTIFICATION: Private secretary to Huey Long

INTERVIEWER: David Culbert

PROJECT:

DATE(S): October 7, 1982 FOCUS DATES: 1920s-1935

ABSTRACT:

Tape 9: Meets Huey P. Long for the first time; handles government work for Long; travels to Louisiana with Long; Long's home on Audubon Place; Long's personal Bible-greatest instrument; Long uses numerous references in speech; Long has his own crowd when making a radio address; Long's national radio addresses; supervises and hires some of Long's secretarial staff; Senator Long's five offices; Long receives bags of mail after speeches; Long likes Will Rogers' humor; March of Time newsreel reenacts the Sand Point incident; Long didn't have much faith in the news media; Long's Share Our Wealth scheme; Long speaks to large groups; Veterans support Long's Bonus Bill; Long's firing of people was not taken seriously; personal relationship with Long; jobs after the death of Senator Long; Long's love for music; Long likes to listen to other people speak; Long as a great showman loves to be criticized; Long speaks out against Franklin Roosevelt; Long wears expensive clothes; Long wears a hat wherever he goes; Long sits on desk and greets office visitors; Long helps Hattie Carraway campaign; Earl Christenberry lies to Mrs. Long about Devol; no one to match Long's potential; the shooting of Long; Long did many great things for the state; typical things Long did; news media was more scarce on their footage

Tape 10: Long and the press; newsreel footage of Long explaining how to eat potlicker properly

TAPES: T9, T10 CASSETTES TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 1 hour

# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 36

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL: None

RESTRICTIONS: Copyright retained by interviewee, interviewer and their heirs.