Gillis William Long (May 4, 1923 – January 20, 1985) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
. He was a member of the
Long family
The Long family is a family of politicians from the United States. Many have characterized it as a political dynasty. After Huey Long's 1935 assassination, a family dynasty emerged: his brother Earl was elected lieutenant-governor in 1936, and gov ...
and was the nephew of former governors
Huey Long and
Earl Long and the cousin of Senator
Russell B. Long
Russell Billiu Long (November 3, 1918 – May 9, 2003) was an American Democratic politician and United States Senator from Louisiana from 1948 until 1987. Because of his seniority, he advanced to chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, servin ...
.
Early life
Long was born on May 4, 1923, in
Winnfield, Louisiana, to Floyd Harrison Long and Birdie Long. His family moved to Pineville when he was a teenager and he attended
Bolton High School. When his cousin
Earl Long was running for Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana, Gillis gave campaign speeches for him at his school.
In 1939, Long attended
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 nea ...
for law, but was interrupted when he enlisted into the army in 1941 as a private. During World War Two he received a bronze star, five campaign stars, and the Purple Heart, and served at the
Nuremberg trials
The Nuremberg trials were held by the Allies of World War II, Allies against representatives of the defeated Nazi Germany, for plotting and carrying out invasions of other countries, and other crimes, in World War II.
Between 1939 and 1945 ...
before being discharged as a captain in 1947. Later that year he married
Catherine Small, and four years later graduated from college with a bachelor and law degree.
Political career
In 1962, he was elected to the House of Representatives from
Louisiana's 8th congressional district and was selected to be the assistant Democratic Whip. In 1963, he entered the Democratic primary for the
Louisiana gubernatorial race, but came in third place with 15% of the vote. In 1964, he attempted to win reelection, but was defeated by his more openly
segregationist cousin
Speedy Long
Speedy Oteria Long (June 16, 1928 – October 5, 2006) was an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for Louisiana's 8th congressional district from January 3, 1965, until January 3, 1973. He was a member of ...
. In 1971, he entered the Democratic primary for
the gubernatorial race again, but again came in third place, this time with 13% of the vote.
After his cousin Speedy Long retired from office, Gillis Long decided to run for the House seat he had once held. He won and was re-elected six additional times. He rose to the position of Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, which he held from 1981 to 1984. During the
1984 presidential primaries, Long endorsed former vice president
Walter Mondale
Walter Frederick "Fritz" Mondale (January 5, 1928 – April 19, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 42nd vice president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 under President Jimmy Carter. A U.S. senator from Minnesota ...
.
On January 20, 1985, Long died from heart failure in Washington, D.C., and a moment of silence was given for him at
Ronald Reagan's second presidential inauguration. His wife Cathy won
the special election to succeed him and served one term. In 1994 he was inducted into the
Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame.
See also
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office (1950–1999)
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Long, Gillis William
1923 births
1985 deaths
People from Winnfield, Louisiana
Military personnel from Louisiana
Baptists from Louisiana
United States Army officers
United States Army personnel of World War II
Bolton High School (Louisiana) alumni
American investment bankers
Gillis William
Louisiana lawyers
Louisiana State University alumni
Louisiana State University Law Center alumni
Politicians from Alexandria, Louisiana
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Louisiana
20th-century American lawyers
20th-century American politicians
Huey Long
Burials in Louisiana
Deaths from congestive heart failure