As higher education faces “serious problems,” bold leadership like that of Huey Long is needed to keep the state’s system intact, descendants of the famous Louisiana governor said Saturday.
“Higher education cannot sustain those types of cuts, and I say without hesitation, if Huey Long was governor today, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” said state Rep. Jimmy Long, D-Natchitoches, who is a member of the Long family.
Jimmy Long spoke Saturday with other relatives, professors and historians about the politician’s legacy during the Huey Long Symposium.
Secretary of State Jay Dardenne and the Foundation for Historical Louisiana hosted the symposium in the Old State Capitol.
Jimmy Long said “the mechanism to fund higher education” was different during Huey’s time, and current constitutional restrictions limit what may be cut from the state’s budget, leaving higher education on the chopping block.
The state told the University to cut $73.8 million from its operating budget Aug. 12. Since January 2009, the University’s funding has been cut by $42 million, translating into 376 eliminated positions and sweeping reductions in programs and services.
Huey Long’s great-grandson, Russell Mosely, said the University was “at the bottom of nearly everything” when Huey was elected governor, but his passion for the University drove him to triple enrollment, double the size of both the faculty and campus facilities and even co-write “Touchdown for LSU.” What was a “Class C University” grew into “Class A University” because of Huey’s “bold leadership,” Mosely said.
“It’s sad to see our state in this condition,” Mosely said. “But if you think it’s bad now, look at how it was in the ’20s.”
Mosely, who is a local attorney, said higher education in Louisiana is only now recovering from cuts during the ’80s, and current political leadership needs to examine the state constitution’s budgetary restrictions and “make the decision to care about schools” during this “somber time in higher education.”
“The last thing you ought to cut is education,” said Ted Jones, a local attorney who is a long-time friend of the Long family. “We need a Huey Long [today] who has the mind and knows politically how to help higher education.”
Jones said the governor should lead the legislature to ensure financial stability for higher education institutions, something he believes Huey Long would do now. Huey Long worked for the “common man” and was able to put aside partisan differences to accomplish concrete improvements for the state, Jones said.
“Outside of God, [Huey Long] was probably the greatest builder this state has ever known,” Jones said.
Other panelists included Richard White, associate dean of the E.J. Ourso College of Business. Two University professors moderated the discussions.
Dr. Carl Weiss Jr., whose father was accused of assassinating Huey Long, spoke publicly about the shooting for the first time during “The 75th Anniversary Panel: Assassination or Accidental Shooting?”
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Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]