Camille Francis Gravel, Jr. (August 10, 1915 -- December 23, 2005) was a giant in Louisiana and national Democratic politics for more than six decades, although he never held elective office. It is widely believed that Gravel (pronounced Grah-VEL), a native of Alexandria, would have been the attorney general in 1961 under President John F. Kennedy had Kennedy not selected his own brother, Robert F. Kennedy. August 10 is the 222nd day of the year (223rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Official language(s) English and French Capital Baton Rouge Largest city New Orleans at last census; probably Baton Rouge since Hurricane Katrina Area  Ranked 31st  - Total 51,885 sq mi (134,382 km²)  - Width 130 miles (210 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 16  - Latitude 29°N to 33... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Alexandria is a city in Louisiana, U.S.A.; it is the parish seat of Rapides Parish, on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. ... Alberto Gonzales, current Attorney General of the United States The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... RFK redirects here. ...

Gravel was the son of Camille Francis Gravel, Sr., and the former Aline Delvaille. He married the former Katherine David on November 26, 1939. She died in 1979, and the next year, he wed Evelyn Gianfala, who survived him. He was the father of eleven children. November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... This page refers to the year 1979. ...

Gravel was a dedicated Roman Catholic, who spent much time and money supporting the church. Pope Pius XII honored Gravel with the "Order of St. Gregory" for his outstanding service to the Catholic Church. It was often said that there was hardly a priest in Louisiana who did not consider Gravel his friend. The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... The Venerable Pius XII, born Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Eugenio Pacelli (Rome, March 2, 1876 - October 9, 1958) served as the Pope from March 2, 1939 to 1958. ...

Education

Gravel graduated from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana in 1935. At a time when a law degree was not required to become a lawyer, Gravel "read for the law" and passed the bar exam. He attended law school at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., from 1937-1939, but once explained that he just could not stick to the books. His lack of a law degree did not keep him from becoming a premier criminal defense lawyer. He was admitted to the bar in 1940. The University of Notre Dame is a leading Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Notre Dame, Indiana, immediately northeast of South Bend, Indiana, United States. ... South Bend is a city in St. ... 1935 (MCMXXXV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Memorial Tower. ... Capitol Building Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. ... The Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (abbreviated CUA), located in Washington, DC, is unique as the national university of the Roman Catholic Church and as the only higher education institution founded by U.S. Roman Catholic bishops. ... Flag Seal Nickname: the District Motto: Justitia Omnibus (Justice for All) Location Location of Washington, D.C., with regard to the surrounding states of Maryland and Virginia. ... 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

Gravel introduced the late Louis Berry, a black lawyer, to the Alexandria Bar Association. The only way that a lawyer could practice before the courts was if he was formally presented before the bar. Berry said that no other white lawyer in Alexandria would introduce him; so he held a special affection for Gravel. Black is a colour with several subtle differences in meaning. ...

The 1948 Democratic Convention

Gravel was an early civil rights activist who was derided by Louisiana segregationist Democrats in the 1950s as an "integrationist." He attracted national attention when he led the loyal Louisiana Democratic delegation to the 1948 national convention in Philadelphia, when many other southern Democrats walked out in protest of a civil rights plank in the party platform supported by the party nominee Harry S. Truman. Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... Racial segregation is a kind of formalized or institutionalized discrimination on the basis of race, characterized by the races separation from each other. ... The 1950s were the decade that spanned the years 1950 through 1959, although some sources say from 1951 through 1960. ... 1948 (MCMXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1948 calendar). ... Philadelphia is a village located in Jefferson County, New York. ... Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ... A party platform, also known as an manifesto is a list of the principles which a political party supports in order to appeal to the general public for the purpose of having said partys candidates voted into office. ... Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884 – December 26, 1972) was the thirty-fourth Vice President (1945) and the thirty-third President of the United States (1945–1953), succeeding to the office upon the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. ...

Truman was placed on the Louisiana ballot as an independent that year by the Louisiana legislature, at the request of Governor Earl Kemp Long. Then Governor Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, later long-serving U.S. senator, was named the "Louisiana Democratic nominee" and carried Louisiana and three other Deep South states. Earl Kemp Long (26 August 1895 - 5 September 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... James Strom Thurmond (December 5, 1902 – June 26, 2003) represented South Carolina in the United States Senate from 1954 to April 1956 and November 1956 to 1964 as a Democrat and from 1964 to 2003 as a Republican. ... Official language(s) English Capital Charleston(1760-1789) Columbia(1790-present) Largest city Columbia Area  Ranked 40th  - Total 34,726 sq mi (82,965 km²)  - Width 200 miles (320 km)  - Length 260 miles (420 km)  - % water 6  - Latitude 32°430N to 35°12N  - Longitude 78°030... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ...

Advisor to three governors

A staunch Democrat, Gravel was a confidant and adviser to former Governors Earl Long, John McKeithen, and Edwin Washington Edwards. One may have assumed that Gravel would have favored his fellow Catholic and fellow liberal, then Mayor deLesseps Story Morrison, Sr., of New Orleans, for governor in the 1956 primary. Wrong, Gravel worked hard to bring back Earl Long, and Long won the nomination in the first round of voting. John Julian McKeithen (May 28, 1918 -- June 4, 1999), a Democrat from the tiny town of Columbia in Caldwell Parish in northeastern Louisiana, was the first governor of his state to serve two consecutive terms. ... Edwin Washington Edwards (born 7 August 1927) is a United States politician who served as governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... de Lesseps Story Morrison (1912 January 18–1964 May 22) was a U.S. political figure. ... 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Earl Long had handpicked Gravel to run for attorney general in that same election, but the job paid little and Gravel, who was rearing a large family, turned down the chance. Long then turned to the garrulous Jack P.F. Gremillion as his attorney general choice, but in the campaign Long complained that Gremillion's repetitious speeches, which primarily highlighted Gremillion's World War II record, bored Long, who had avoided service in World War I. Eventually, Gravel's relationship with Long soured as well. Jack Paul Faustin Gremillion, Sr. ... Combatants Allies: Soviet Union, United Kingdom, France/Free France, United States, Canada, China, India, Australia, Poland, New Zealand, South Africa, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, Bulgaria, Finland, Romania, Hungary, Burma Casualties Military dead: 17 million Civilian dead: 33 million Total dead: 50 million Military dead: 8 million Civilian... Combatants Allies: Serbia, Russia, France, Romania, Belgium, British Empire, United States, Italy, and others Central Powers: Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Ottoman Empire Casualties Military dead: 5 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total of dead: 8 million Military dead: 4 million Civilian deaths: 3 million Total dead: 7 million The First...

In Edwards' first two terms, 1972-1980, most of his proposed legislation was drafted by Gravel. Gravel returned as Edwards' counsel for his third term starting in 1984, but when Edwards was indicted for the first time on federal racketeering charges in 1985, Gravel left the governor's staff to work as his co-defense counsel. Edwards was acquitted. 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Organized crime is crime carried out systematically by formal criminal organizations. ... This article is about the year. ...

Political writer John Hill noted that as a criminal defense attorney, Gravel "had such a statewide status that when anyone hired him, people knew the defendant was in real trouble." Gravel also served on Edwards' defense teams when he was convicted of racketeering in 2000. That conviction is still under appeal. This article is about the year 2000. ...

In 1979, Gravel scored a major victory when he succeeded in obtaining the acquittal of another high-profile defendant, former Congressman Otto E. Passman of Monroe. Passman was tried in Monroe for fraud, conspiracy, accepting an illegal gratuity, and tax evasion when the U.S. Justice Department obtained an indictment on the allegation that he had received $213,000 in illegal gifts from the South Korean lobbyist Tongsun Park in a scandal called "Koreagate." Otto Ernest Passman (June 27, 1900 -- August 13, 1988) was a conservative Democratic congressman from Monroe, Louisiana, who served from 1947-1977. ... Tongsun Park was a figure in the Koreagate scandal of the 1970s with a reputation as the Asian Great Gatsby, a socialite who charmed congressmen with his Washington dinner parties and cash payments. ...

Edwards once claimed that he and Gravel became political allies and friends because they were decades ahead of their time on the issue of civil rights. Civil rights or positive rights are those legal rights retained by citizens and protected by the government. ...

By the late 1950s, when the state’s political war cry was segregation, Gravel was one of the prominent white political figures who did not join the mainstream. The 1950s were the decade that spanned the years 1950 through 1959, although some sources say from 1951 through 1960. ... Segregation means separation. ...

"Purely as a moral proposition, I think segregation is wrong," he said in 1959. 1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Gravel was also influential in prison reform and, as a death penalty opponent, sometimes worked pro bono to defend death row inmates. Louisiana maintained its death penalty provision despite Gravel's contrary views. Prison reform is the attempt to improve conditions inside prisons, aiming at a more effective penal system. ... Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted criminal by the State as punishment for crimes known as capital crimes or capital offenses. ...

Friendship with the Kennedys

Former Louisiana state senator, gubernatorial candidate, secretary of state, and insurance commissioner James H. "Jim" Brown (and father of NBC correspondent Campbell Brown) recalled a story as to how Gravel became friends with the Kennedys: Campbell Brown (born 1967 in Ferriday, Louisiana) is co-anchor of Weekend Today. ...

"There is a marvelous story as to how Camille’s relationship with Kennedy infuriated then Governor Earl Long. The governor led a delegation that included Camille to the 1956 Democratic Convention being held in Chicago. Kennedy was a candidate for vice president, since the position had been thrown open by presidential nominee Adlai Stevenson. Earl Long supported Senator Estes Kefauver from Tennessee. The governor decided to leave the convention early, and gave instructions to Camille [Gravel] and Judge Edmund Reggie of Crowley and a future father-in-law of Senator Edward M. Kennedy] to support Kefauver [who won the nomination for vice president]. 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Chicago (officially named the City of Chicago) is the third largest city in the United States (after New York City and Los Angeles), with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 census. ... The issue of Time Magazine in which Kefauvers victory in the New Hampshire primary was reported. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 36th 109,247 km² 195 km 710 km 2. ... Crowley is a city located in Acadia Parish, Louisiana. ... Edward Kennedy Edward Moore Ted Kennedy, (born February 22, 1932, in Brookline, Massachusetts) is a Democratic U.S. senator from Massachusetts. ...

"The Massachusetts delegation sat side-by-side with the Louisiana delegates, and Camille struck up a friendship with Kennedy. Despite Earl Long’s instructions, Camille supported Kennedy for vice president. Needless to say, the governor was infuriated. And so Camille damaged his relationship with the governor but made a lasting alliance with the man who would be president."

Louisiana Constitutional Convention, 1973

While others beat the drums for segregation during the 1950s and early 1960s, Gravel worked to elect as president the a man he had befriended at the 1956 Democratic Convention, John F. Kennedy. He failed, however, to win Louisiana for the 1964, 1968, and 1972 party nominees, Lyndon B. Johnson, Hubert H. Humphrey, and George McGovern. The 1950s were the decade that spanned the years 1950 through 1959, although some sources say from 1951 through 1960. ... The outrageously crowded Woodstock festival epitomized the popular antiwar movement of the 60s. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th President of the United States. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States (1963–1969). ... Hubert Horatio Humphrey II (May 27, 1911 – January 13, 1978) was the 38th Vice President of the United States, serving under President Lyndon Johnson. ... George McGovern Dr. George Stanley McGovern (born July 19, 1922) was a United States Congressman, Senator, and Democratic presidential candidate, losing the 1972 presidential election to incumbent Richard Nixon. ...

Jim Brown noted the pivotal role that Gravel played in the Louisiana Constitutional Convention of 1973. The document was handily approved by voters in a special election in the spring of 1974. Brown, as a state senator, was also a delegate to the convention. Constitutional revision in Texas, being pushed at the same time, failed. 1973 (MCMLXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 660 miles (1,065 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ...

"Camille's effectiveness was never better put on display than during the effort to rewrite Louisiana 's obsolete constitution. Camille worked on every major section of the proposed document, perfecting the middle ground and working out compromises when delegates disagreed. I know of no greater influence on the basic law of our state than [that exercised by] Camille," said Brown.

In 1974, Gravel reminisced about the Kennedy victory on an election night when state voters approved the new state constitution that Gravel had helped to fashion. 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ...

"The Kennedy victory in Louisiana was my best moment in politics," Gravel said. "The victory tonight [for the new Constitution] is next best."

Death and funeral mass in Alexandria

Gravel died at the age of 90 in the Naomi Heights Nursing Home in Alexandria two days before Christmas 2005. He had been residing in the nursing home for several months, according to his son, Mark Gravel. He had undergone heart valve replacement surgery eleven months earlier in St. Frances Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria. He suffered a stroke in the surgery and did not regain consciousness. He underwent a second surgery three days later to remove a blood clot. He developed kidney problems. Mark Gravel noted that his father had been practicing law right up until the day before that he had the heart surgery. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Gravel's funeral mass was conducted on December 27, 2005, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Alexandria, with the Rev. Ken Roy officiating. The bishop and nine other priests participated. Six federal judges were in attendance, as were members of Congress, numerous other judges and public officials, and hundreds whose lives he touched.

Democratic Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco described Gravel as a "towering figure in Louisiana's public life for more than 60 years. While distinguishing himself as one of our state's most prominent attorneys, Mr. Gravel always found time for public service, including a significant role in writing Louisiana's Constitution and his service to three governors." Categories: Stub | 1942 births | Governors of Louisiana ...

Gravel's legacy

Jim Brown said that Gravel's influence on the legal profession and the political landscape of the state was "overwhelming. He has been, for many years, hands down one of the best criminal lawyers in the country.

"Many would be stunned at how full and complete a life he led. He has always been a lawyer’s lawyer, called on time and time again by attorneys throughout the country for his legal counsel and advice. Most of the Louisiana governors during the past 60 years have had him by their side. He served as executive counsel to both Governors John McKeithen and Edwin Edwards. . . . Numerous judges owe their positions on both the federal and state bench to the efforts and support they received from Camille Gravel.

"Camille had class. Real class. He had an aura of grace in his movement, never raised his voice, and was always a perfect gentleman. His sport coats were from Bullock and Jones in Miami. He was a dapper dresser that caused Earl Long to make fun of some of his outfits. Earl Long didn't know what class was.

"I never met anyone who prepaid at nice restaurants. Camille often didn't use credit cards. He just sent checks in advance to some of Louisiana 's better eating establishments, and kept credit on file. The restaurateurs loved him.

"Louisiana, over the last century, has certainly had its share of scandals, blemishes, and black eyes, but there is always that special cream that rises to the top. When historians review the exceptional figures during the 20th century in our state, Camille Gravel will be pointed to as one of the best.

"His was the life to emulate. He will be deeply missed by friends, family, and thousands of admirers from many walks of life, and from locations throughout the country .

"Strong. Brave. Unafraid of controversy. Unyielding in his convictions. Living every day of his life to the hilt. One of the largest figures of our time whose influence will be timeless."

Gravel was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield in 1995. Winnfield is a small city located in Winn Parish, Louisiana. ... 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

References

William J. "Bill" Dodd, Peapatch Politics, Baton Rouge: Claitor's Publishing, 1991

• The Shreveport Times: Camille Gravel Jr. in hospital in critical condition
• PoliticsLA.com: Gravel and Eastwood both involved in important battles
• Louisiana Weekly: A Louisiana statesman is laid to rest
• The Political Switchboard: Camille Gravel
• The Town Talk: Gravel's legacy -- political adviser, civil rights activist
• The Daily Advertiser: Camille Gravel, adviser to Louisiana governors, dies at 90

Who's Who in America, 1975 edition http://www.cityofwinnfield.com/museum.html