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. His tenure ran from 1964-1972. He was also the governor who pushed for the construction of the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. May 28 is the 148th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (149th in leap years). ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... June 4 is the 155th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (156th in leap years), with 210 days remaining. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Caldwell Parish is a parish located in the state of Louisiana. ... 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. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1972 calendar). ... Superdome redirects here. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

Early life

McKeithen was born in the village of Grayson in Caldwell Parish. He graduated from high school there and first attended college in High Point, North Carolina. He earned a law degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Grayson is the name of some places in the United States of America: Grayson, Georgia Grayson, Kentucky Grayson, Louisiana Grayson County, Virginia Grayson is also the name of a planet within the Honorverse based on a series of books written by David Weber Grayson is also a surname: A. Kirk... Caldwell Parish is a parish located in the state of Louisiana. ... High Point is a city in Guilford County, North Carolina, United States. ... Memorial Tower. ... Capitol Building Baton Rouge is the capital of Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. ...

After service in World War II, McKeithen started practicing law in Columbia. He married a young teacher in Columbia, the former Marjorie "Margie" Howell Funderburk (September 30, 1919 -- March 24, 2004). She graduated from Louisiana Tech University, then called "Louisiana Polytechnic Institute." McKeithen called her "my sweetie." They had six children. She was the homemaker of their Hogan Plantation and reserved the spotlight for her popular husband, whom she affectionately called "J.J." It was said that she was particularly elated when the day came to leave the governor's mansion, turn things over to Edwin Washington Edwards and Elaine Edwards, and return to Hogan Plantation. 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... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 92 days remaining. ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... March 24 is the 83rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (84th in Leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Louisiana Tech University, located in Ruston, Louisiana, is a coeducational public university with an approximate enrollment of 12000 students. ... 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. ... Elaine Schwartzenburg Edwards (born March 8, 1929) was a member of the United States Senate and the wife of Edwin Edwards. ...

Entering the legislature and the PSC

McKeithen was elected as a Louisiana state representative in 1948; he was a prominent leader for Governor Earl Kemp Long on the floor of the House. In 1952, as a 33-year-old state legislator, he was an unsuccessful Democratic primary candidate for lieutenant governor on a slate supported by the Longs. The "anti-Longs," led that year by Judge Robert F. Kennon of Minden, won the governorship and other top positions. McKeithen lost the lieutenant governor's runoff to Charles E. "Cap" Barham of Ruston, who had originally run on the ticket with Congressman Thomas Hale Boggs, Sr. of New Orleans. Barham then switched to the Kennon ticket in the runoff against McKeithen. Earl Kemp Long (26 August 1895 - 5 September 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Robert Floyd Kennon (August 12, 1902 - January 11, 1988) was the Democratic governor of the state of Louisiana, United States between 1952-1956. ... Minden is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Ruston may refer to: Ruston, Louisiana Ruston, Washington Ruston, engine builder in Lincoln, England This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Thomas Hale Boggs Sr. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

McKeithen then served on the elected Louisiana Public Service Commission from 1954 to 1964, where he was credited with maintaining the traditional nickel phone call, when most states had long gone to a dime or higher in pay phone outlets. Louisiana Public Service Commission (LPSC) is an independent regulatory agency serving the public of Louisiana by managing its public utilities and motor carriers. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ...

Election as governor

see main article: Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1963-64. The Louisiana gubernatorial election of 1963-64 was held in three rounds. ...

McKeithen won the Democratic nomination for governor in January 1964 (an event that showed the Democrats rejection of the klan) and swept the general election held thereafter on March 3. In the first primary, McKeithen emerged in second place to the frontrunner deLesseps Story "Chep" Morrison, Sr. McKeithen then won the runoff, 492,905 (52.2 percent) to 451,161 (47.8 percent). He then overcame the conservative Republican Charlton Lyons, a Shreveport oilman, in the first seriously contested Louisiana gubernatorial general election since Reconstruction. McKeithen defeated Lyons, 469,589 (60.7 percent) to 297,753 (37.5 percent). McKeithen seemed somewhat bitter that he had to face a strong Republican candidate after struggling through two hard-fought Democratic primaries. 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... A general election is an election in which all members of a given political body are up for election. ... March 3 is the 62nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (63rd in leap years). ... de Lesseps Story Morrison (1912 January 18–1964 May 22) was a U.S. political figure. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ... Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr. ... Shreveport, Louisiana is the third largest metropolitan city in the state of Louisiana, USA. It is located in Caddo Parish, and as of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 200,145. ... Reconstruction-era military districts in the South For other uses, see Reconstruction (disambiguation). ...

McKeithen as governor

When McKeithen was elected, Louisiana governors could still serve only one term. Governors had to sit out a term if they wished to seek second or third terms thereafter. McKeithen worked to end this practice; voters overwhelmingly approved his pet "Amendment 1" in the 1966 general election. Therefore, he could seek a second term in the 1967-1968 election cycle. 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ...

As governor, McKeithen got to appoint his own successor to the Public Service Commission. He chose Monroe lawyer John S. Hunt, III, a nephew of the late Huey Pierce Long, Jr. and Earl Long. (Hunt's mother, Lucille Long Hunt, was a sister of the Long brothers.) Hunt won the seat for a full term in the 1966 election but was unseated in 1972 by Edward Kennon of Minden, a nephew of Robert Kennon. Huey Long Huey Pierce Long (August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935) was a controversial American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. ...

McKeithen's two terms were characterized by economic expansion and jobs creation. He plugged for the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans despite initial misgivings by many about the costs and need. He also pushed through a 2-cent sales tax increase in 1970 to fund higher pay for teachers and state employees. He worked to expand construction on many public college and university campuses. The Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana. ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

Despite having personally intervened to stem racial violence in Bogalusa in 1965, McKeithen later became a national spokesperson for the movement to oppose integration by busing school children. Bogalusa is a city located in Washington Parish, Louisiana. ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ...

Re-election campaign, 1967

He was so popular in office that voters renominated him with ease in the 1967 Democratic primary, in which he was opposed by the very conservative Indiana-born Sixth District freshman Congressman John Rarick of St. Francisville in West Feliciana Parish, who did not warm to rural voters the way McKeithen could and whose strict constitutionalist views did not appeal to many in the Louisiana statewide electorate. People responded positively to McKeithen's folksy mannerisms and trademark "Won't you 'hep me?" appeal. Republicans did not field a candidate to challenge McKeithen for a second term in the general election held on February 6, 1968. Official language(s) English Capital Indianapolis Largest city Indianapolis Area  Ranked 38th  - Total 36,418 sq mi (94,321 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 270 miles (435 km)  - % water 1. ... John Richard Rarick (born January 29, 1924 in Waterford, Indiana)) is a lawyer, former Congressman, and former Presidential candidate. ... St. ... West Feliciana Parish is a parish located in the state of Louisiana. ... February 6 is the 37th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

After governorship

After he left office in 1972, McKeithen sought the U.S. Senate seat vacated by the death of long-term Democratic incumbent Allen J. Ellender. The filing deadline had closed for the Democratic primary; so he ran as an independent in the general election. He lost to the Democratic nominee, former State Senator J. Bennett Johnston, Jr., as Richard M. Nixon and Spiro T. Agnew were easily carrying Louisiana. Allen Joseph Ellender (September 24, 1890 - July 27, 1972) was a U.S. political figure from Houma, Louisiana who served as a Democratic United States Senator from Louisiana from 1937 until his death in 1972. ... John Bennett Johnston, Jr. ... Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994) was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. ... Spiro Theodore Agnew, born Spiro Anagnostopoulos (November 9, 1918–September 17, 1996), was the thirty-ninth Vice President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1973 under President Richard M. Nixon. ...

Governor David C. Treen, a Republican, appointed the Democrat McKeithen to the LSU Board of Supervisors, a position that he held until his death. In his later years, McKeithen practiced law in Columbia and in Baton Rouge with his granddaughter, Marjorie. In 1993, McKeithen was among the original inductees into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield. David Conner Treen, Sr. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The small city of Winnfield is the parish seat of Winn Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. ...

McKeithen's son, W. Fox McKeithen (1946-2005), was a member of the Louisiana legislature (1984-1988) and secretary of state (1988-2005). Fox McKeithen switched his party allegiance from Democratic to Republican in the late 1980s, after his first election as secretary of state, much to the consternation of his staunchly Democratic father and daughter. W. Fox McKeithen (born September 8, 1946 - died July 16, 2005) served five terms as Secretary of State in Louisiana between 1987 and 2005. ... 1946 (MCMXLVI) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Governors of Louisiana

Claiborne • Villeré • Robertson • Thibodaux • H. Johnson • Derbigny • Beauvais • Dupre • Roman • White • Roman • Mouton • I. Johnson • Walker • Hebert • Wickliffe • Moore • Warmouth • Pinchback • J. McEnery • Kellogg • Nicholls • Wiltz • S. McEnery • Nicholls • Foster • Heard • Blanchard • Sanders • Hall • Pleasant • Parker • Fuqua • Simpson • H. Long • King • O. Allen • Noe • Leche • E. Long • Jones • Davis • E. Long • Kennon • E. Long • Davis • McKeithen • Edwards • Treen • Edwards • Roemer • Edwards • Foster Jr. • Blanco

Edwin Honest Ed Edwards (born August 7, 1927) served as the Democratic governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... This is a list of Governors of [[Louisiana== First French Era == Sauvole de la Villantry 1699-1701 Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville 1701-1713 Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac 1713-1716 Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville 1716-1717 Jean-Michel de Lepinay 1717-1718 Jean... Image File history File links Flag_of_Louisiana. ... William Charles Cole Claiborne William Charles Cole Claiborne (1775 - 23 November 1817) was a United States politician, best known as the first U.S. governor of Louisiana. ... Jacques Phillippe Villeré (1760 - 7 March 1830) was the second Governor of Louisiana after it became a state. ... Thomas Bolling Robertson (February 27, 1779 – October 5, 1828) was a member of the U. S. House of Representatives representing the state of Louisiana. ... Henry Johnson could refer to: Henry Johnson (Louisiana) (1783-1864), US Senator, Representative, and Governor, Louisiana Henry Lincoln Johnson (1897-1929), American soldier, recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix de Guerre during World War I Henry Underwood Johnson (1850-1939), US Representative, Indiana Henry Johnson (1981 - ?), Nigeria... Alexander Mouton (November 19, 1804 - February 12, 1885) was a United States Senator and Governor of Louisiana. ... Joseph Marshall Walker (1786 - 20 January 1856) was a Louisiana soldier, politician. ... Paul Octave Hebert was Governor of Louisiana from 1853-56. ... Thomas Overton Moore (April 10, 1804 – June 25, 1876), American politician, was Governor of Louisiana from 1860 until 1864. ... Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback (May 10, 1837 – December 21, 1921) was the first African-American to become governor of a U.S. State. ... William Pitt Kellogg (December 8, 1830 August 10, 1918) was an American politician. ... Francis Redding Tillou Nicholls served two terms as Governor of Louisiana after Reconstruction. ... Louis Alfred Wiltz (October 22, 1843 – October 16, 1881) served as Governor of Louisiana from 1880 – 1881. ... Samuel Douglas McEnery (May 28, 1837 - June 10, 1910) served as Governor of Louisiana from 1881 until 1888, and as a United States Senator from 1897 until 1910. ... Francis Redding Tillou Nicholls served two terms as Governor of Louisiana after Reconstruction. ... Murphy James Foster (January 12, 1849 - June 21, 1921) is a Louisiana politician who served two terms as Governor of Louisiana (1892 - 1900). ... William Wright Heard (28 April 1853 - 1 June 1926) was the governor of Louisiana from 1900 to 1904. ... Newton Crain Blanchard (January 29, 1849 - June 22, 1922) was a United States Representative, Senator, and Governor of Louisiana. ... Oramel H. Simpson became governor of the state of Louisiana upon the death of his predecessor, Henry L. Fuqua. ... Huey Long Huey Pierce Long (August 30, 1893 – September 10, 1935) was a controversial American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. ... Alvin Olin King (June 21, 1890 – 1958) was a Louisiana politician. ... Gov. ... James A. Noe, Sr. ... Richard W. Leche was the governor of Louisiana from 1936 till 1939. ... Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... Sam Houston Jones was the governor of Louisiana from 1940 to 1944. ... James Houston Davis, better known as Jimmie Davis, (September 11, 1899 - November 5, 2000) was a noted singer who served as Governor of Louisiana. ... Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... Robert Floyd Kennon (August 12, 1902 - January 11, 1988) was the Democratic governor of the state of Louisiana, United States between 1952-1956. ... Earl Kemp Long (August 26, 1895 – September 5, 1960) was an American politician and three-time Governor of Louisiana. ... James Houston Davis, better known as Jimmie Davis, (September 11, 1899 - November 5, 2000) was a noted singer who served as Governor of Louisiana. ... Edwin Honest Ed Edwards (born August 7, 1927) served as the Democratic governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... David Conner Treen, Sr. ... Edwin Honest Ed Edwards (born August 7, 1927) served as the Democratic governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... Charles Elson Buddy Roemer, III, was governor of Louisiana from 1988 to 1992 and a Democratic member of the U.S. House from 1981-1988. ... Edwin Honest Ed Edwards (born August 7, 1927) served as the Democratic governor of Louisiana for four terms (1972 - 1980, 1984 - 1988, and 1992 - 1996), more terms than any other Louisiana governor. ... Former Gov. ... Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (born December 15, 1942) is an American politician. ...

References

• Billy Hathorn, Ph.D., Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, thesis, "The Republican Party in Louisiana, 1920-1980." (1980)
• Miriam G. Reeves. The Governors of Louisiana. Pelican, 1998.
• Louisiana Secretary of State website tribute
• Encyclopedia Louisiana entry on John McKeithen
• http://www.concordiasentinel.com/custom/webpage.cfm?content=Opinion&id=88
• http://ssdi.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/ssdi.cgi