FBI File on Huey Long

Product Category: Microform

The political career of "Kingfish" Huey Long was parked by corruption, obsession with and abuse of power, and Populist rhetoric calling for redistribution of wealth. His maverick politics, while an outrage to his political opponents, nevertheless gained him enough popularity to catapult him to both the Louisiana governor's post as well as a U.S. Senate seat. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Long was in control of virtually every aspect of the Louisiana political system, probably welding more power than any other governor in American history.

As senator, Long introduced a program for redistribution of wealth, but it was rejected by the Senate. He was often at odds with the leaders of his Democratic Party and even announced his intention to run against President Roosevelt in the 1936 presidential election. Long was assassinated in October 1935, one month after his announcement, while visiting Baton Rouge to attend a special convening of his legislature.

This FBI file on Huey Long details the organization's investigation of Long during the 1920s and 30s. Many of Long's activities refer to voting fraud. Also of interest are the large amount of memos produced by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. This collection is an important resource for studies in political science and American history

Number of rolls: 2