F. Edward Hébert
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Felix Edward Hébert (October 12, 1901 – December 29, 1979) was an American journalist and politician from Louisiana. He represented the New Orleans-based 1st congressional district as a
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
for 18 consecutive terms, from 1941 until his retirement in 1977. He remains Louisiana's longest-serving U.S. representative.


Early life and education

Hébert was born in New Orleans to Felix Joseph Hébert, a streetcar conductor, and the former Lea Naquin, a teacher. As a boy he loved sports, but after a shooting accident left him blind in his left eye at the age of nine, he could not play. However, at Jesuit High School he compensated by becoming manager of all the athletic teams. He reported on prep-school sports for '' The Times-Picayune'', becoming the paper's assistant sports editor before he was out of high school, and at Tulane University he was the first sports editor of the ''
Hullabaloo Hubbabaloo or hullaballoo may refer to: * Hullabaloo (band), a punk band * Hullabaloo (song), a 1990 single by Absent Friends * Hullabaloo (festival), a music festival at the University of California San Diego * ''Hullabaloo'' (film), a 1940 film ...
''. At Tulane he was a member of Delta Sigma Phi and the Young Men's Business Club of New Orleans.


Journalism career

Hébert graduated from Tulane in 1924. He pursued a career in public relations for Loyola University in New Orleans and journalism for the ''Times-Picayune'' and the New Orleans '' States'', a paper purchased by ''The Times-Picayune'' while Hébert worked there. As a front-page columnist and political editor, he covered the candidacy and election of Governor Huey Long, who was eventually elected to the United States Senate. ''"In 1939, after being promoted to city editor, Mr. Hebert broke the story of political corruption that became known as the “Louisiana scandals,” leading to the jailing of many Long associates and triggering Mr. Hebert's political career, reportedly at the urging of former Gov. James A. Noe, who had broken with the Long machine and reportedly supplied the tip that led to the expose.'''— which put a spotlight on corruption among followers of the Long political family — contributed to the eventual convictions of Governor
Richard W. Leche Richard Webster Leche (May 17, 1898 – February 22, 1965) was an American attorney, judge, and politician, elected as the 44th Governor of the U.S. state of Louisiana. He served from 1936 until 1939, when he resigned. Convicted on federal ...
and
James Monroe Smith James Monroe Smith may refer to: * James Monroe Smith (Georgia planter) (1839–1915), planter and state legislator in Georgia * James Monroe Smith (academic administrator) (1888–1949), American educator and academic administrator in Louisiana * J ...
, president of Louisiana State University. ''The Times-Picayune'' won the Sigma Delta Chi plaque for "courage in journalism", largely as a result of Hébert's work. "As a member of the Armed Services Committee. He joined the states' rights
Dixiecrat The States' Rights Democratic Party (whose members are often called the Dixiecrats) was a short-lived segregationist political party in the United States, active primarily in the South. It arose due to a Southern regional split in opposition t ...
revolt in 1948, the only member of the Louisiana delegation to the Democratic National Convention to do so, kindling a feud with President Truman." In later life, Hébert said he never considered himself a politician. He described himself as "an old reporter on a long sabbatical". In 1969 he said, "I had no political ambition whatsoever. I never intended to enter public office; I had never been in public office. In this time, it looked to me like a pretty good chance to be a better reporter if I came to Washington. They got me on sabbatical leave for two years because I knew I would never be re-elected."


Political career

Hébert's work also led to his election in 1940 to the 77th United States Congress. Hébert served in the United States House of Representatives until the end of the 94th United States Congress, having chosen not to seek a nineteenth term in 1976. That longevity set a Louisiana record for the service in the United States House of Representatives. Hébert was temporarily succeeded by the Democrat
Richard Alvin Tonry Richard Alvin "Rick" Tonry (June 25, 1935 – July 3, 2012) was a Democratic Party politician from New Orleans, Louisiana. Education He graduated in 1962 from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama. In 1967, he earned a law degree from Loyola Uni ...
, who in turn was quickly replaced by Bob Livingston, the first Republican to represent the district since the
Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
. The seat has remained in Republican hands ever since, passing from Livingston to David Vitter to
Bobby Jindal Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (born June 10, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of Louisiana from 2008 to 2016. The only living former Louisiana governor, Jindal also served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives a ...
to Steve Scalise. Hébert rarely had serious opposition. In 1952, the Republican
George W. Reese Jr. George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
, a lawyer from New Orleans, challenged him and drew a third of the
general election A general election is a political voting election where generally all or most members of a given political body are chosen. These are usually held for a nation, state, or territory's primary legislative body, and are different from by-elections ( ...
vote. In 1954, Reese tried again, but in the low turnout off-year election, he polled only a sixth of the vote. In 1960, Reese, then the
Republican national committeeman The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
from Louisiana, was also the Republican standard bearer in the United States Senate election against
Allen J. Ellender Allen Joseph Ellender (September 24, 1890 – July 27, 1972) was an American politician and lawyer who was a U.S. Senator from Louisiana from 1937 until his death. He was a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who was originally allied ...
but secured only a fifth of the ballots cast, as John F. Kennedy won Louisiana's then ten electoral votes. Hébert opposed school desegregation and signed the
Southern Manifesto The Declaration of Constitutional Principles (known informally as the Southern Manifesto) was a document written in February and March 1956, during the 84th United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manife ...
in opposition to the United States Supreme Court's 1954 '' Brown v. Board of Education'' decision.


House Committee on Armed Services, 1948-1975

He joined the United States House Committee on Armed Services and was named chairman of the committee's Special Investigations subcommittee.


Chairmanship, 1971-1975

Hébert was the chairman of the Committee on Armed Services from 1971 to 1975. When Chairman
L. Mendel Rivers Lucius Mendel Rivers (September 28, 1905 – December 28, 1970) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from South Carolina, representing the Charleston-based 1st congressional district for nearly 30 years. He was chairman of the House Armed Se ...
died, on December 29, 1970, lame duck committee member
Philip J. Philbin Philip Joseph Philbin (May 29, 1898 – June 14, 1972) was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic United States Congress, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts. He was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, where he attended the public and high ...
took his place; Philbin's term ran out three and a half days later, and Hébert took the post. Hébert brought millions of dollars in military investment to his district in Louisiana. He was removed from the chairmanship in a revolt of the increasingly young and liberal House Democratic Caucus against the
seniority system Seniority is the state of being older or placed in a higher position of status relative to another individual, group, or organization. For example, one employee may be senior to another either by role or rank (such as a CEO vice a manager), or by ...
. Many of the younger Democrats were not pleased when he addressed the new members from the Watergate Class of 1974 as "boys and girls". Governor
Edwin Edwards Edwin Washington Edwards (August 7, 1927 – July 12, 2021) was an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the U.S. representative for from 1965 to 1972 and as the 50th governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972– ...
, New Orleans Mayor Moon Landrieu and the Louisiana House delegation chided the caucus for ousting Hebert as his years of political experience had generated thousands of jobs and brought millions of dollars into the state.


Personal life and family

On August 1, 1934, Hébert married Gladys Bofill. The couple had one daughter, Dawn Marie, who married a future judge of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals,
John Malcolm Duhé Jr. John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...
, of
Iberia Parish Iberia Parish (french: Paroisse de l'Ibérie, es, Parroquia de Iberia) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 69,929; the parish seat is New Iberia. The parish was formed in 1868 during ...
. Dawn Hébert was the first woman president of the Greater Iberia Chamber of Commerce. In 1975 he slipped on a piece of ice at a cocktail party and broke his arm. In 1979 he began to suffer congestive heart failure, and he died on December 29 in New Orleans at Hôtel-Dieu Hospital. A requiem mass was said for him at St. Louis Cathedral by Archbishop
Philip Hannan Philip Matthew Hannan (May 20, 1913 – September 29, 2011) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington from 1956 to 1965 and as the eleventh archbishop of the Archdio ...
. Hébert is entombed beside his wife in Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum in New Orleans.


Legacy

Hébert is responsible for founding the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland. That university's medical school, the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, is named for him. On January 28, 2012, Hébert was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in
Winnfield Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield.
. F. Edward Hébert Hall, Building 7 at Hébert's alma mater, Tulane University, houses Tulane's Center for Academic Equity, its Africana Studies Department and its History Department. In 2017 Tulane's Undergraduate Student Government resolved to request the board of administrators to allow Hébert Hall to be renamed. A student senator said, "What does it say about what side of history Tulane is on when its History Department is housed in a building named after a segregationist?" The students suggested "Guillory and Elloie Hall" for its new name, after Barbara Marie Guillory and Pearlie Hardin Elloie, the first two students of color to attend Tulane. Tulane's Building Naming Task Force, which was made up of students, faculty, staff and alumni, recommended removing the Hébert name as the designation of the hall if legally possible and the Board of Tulane unanimously voted to authorize Tulane leadership to negotiate with the Hébert family as representatives of the F. Edward Hébert Foundation. However, according to University President Michael A. Fitts, "Tulane was unable to reach an agreement to modify the legal requirement that Hébert’s name remain on the building." Beginning in the 2022-23 academic year, Hébert Hall will prominently feature contextual facts regarding the history of its naming.


See also

* List of members of the House Un-American Activities Committee


References


External links


Oral History Interview with F. Edward Hebert, from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library
*''Who's Who in America, 1956-1957,'' p. 1141. {{DEFAULTSORT:Hebert, Felix Edward 1901 births 1979 deaths American columnists Jesuit High School (New Orleans) alumni Journalists from Louisiana Politicians from New Orleans Tulane University alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana Louisiana Dixiecrats Recipients of the Order of the Sword (United States) Writers from New Orleans 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American politicians Burials in Louisiana Catholics from Louisiana 20th-century American journalists American male journalists American segregationists 20th-century American male writers