7, 1927, to a sharecropper and a midwife in Avoyelles Parish, in the region settled by 18th century French exiles from Nova Scotia who came to be known as Cajuns. Edwin Edwards at a gala party in Beverly Hills, Calif., in February 1977.Įdwards was born on Aug. But the dealmaking Edwards had a cooler demeanor.Īctress Gloria Swanson is crowned Queen of the Mardi Gras festivities by Louisiana Gov. They shared a populist appeal to the state’s downtrodden, and political fortunes that flowed in part from taxes on oil. Silver-haired and gifted with an easy charm, Edwards dominated Louisiana politics in the late 20th century much as Huey P. I’ve rarely seen a wider chasm between the promise for greatness and reality.” “He had everything, and yet squandered it by devoting much of his time to enriching his friends. He could relate to crowds better than almost any politician I ever knew,” Louisiana State University journalism professor Robert Mann said in an email Monday. “He had eloquence, creativity, a razor-sharp mind, executive abilities that many lacked, and leadership skills that many envied. Edwards maintained the case was built on secretly taped and misinterpreted conversations and the lies of his former cronies, who made deals to avoid jail.īut the conviction and the numerous investigations and allegations were an unavoidable stain on his legacy. The federal case that led to his May 2000 conviction involved him taking payoffs from interests seeking riverboat casino licenses during his final term in the 1990s. Infamously, the lifelong Democrat said once said that the only way he could lose to a particularly lackluster Republican was if he were “caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy.”Ī native of Louisiana’s Acadiana region who swore his 1972 oath of office in French and English, Edwards enjoyed renewed popularity after emerging from prison in 2011 at age 83, with his flamboyant character intact. Edwards had four grown children from his first marriage.The “Cajun King” was known for delivering a steady supply of memorable one-liners as well as for his deft political instincts. He served eight years in prison, emerging in 2011 at age 83 to marry for the third time. He insisted he did nothing wrong, blaming the conviction on perjured testimony. He was tried and convicted in 2000 for rigging the riverboat casino licensing process. After being all but written off as politically finished following a failed re-election bid in 1987, he was re-elected in 1991 after securing a runoff spot against a former Ku Klux Klan leader. He was tried and acquitted on corruption charges during his third term. He was in power during the completion of the Louisiana Superdome and was instrumental in efforts that kept the NFL's Saints in New Orleans, saved the financially troubled 1984 World's Fair, brought a casino to New Orleans and, eventually an NBA team.īut he also was frequently touched by accusations of wrongdoing. He drew praise for leading a push for a new state constitution, bringing Black people into state government and ushering in state prosperity with an overhaul of oil taxes in the 1970s. He became famous for sharp wit, deadpan one-liners and political skills that propelled him to two terms as governor in the 1970s, one in the ‘80s and another in the early ’90s. “As he once said, he was both a realist and a dreamer who often dreamed of a better world - and worked to make it so," the current governor said of Edwards in prepared remarks released publicly Sunday afternoon.Įdwin Edwards was a dominant figure in Louisiana politics for much of the late 20th century, having served in the state Senate and in Congress before winning the governorship. John Bel Edwards - no relation to the former governor - who praised Edwards as a consensus builder and deal maker who modernized state government and worked hard to fund education and the state's charity hospital system. The Southern University marching band was part of a procession that carried the body from the 34-story Capitol built in the 1930s, on a nearly mile-long route to the Old State Capitol, a 19th Century structure, where a private funeral ceremony for Edwards was held.Īmong the speakers was current Gov. His body lay in honor Saturday at the Capitol, where members of the public were allowed to file by. The four-term former governor, died at his home in Gonzales last Monday at age 93 after placing himself in hospice care following bouts with respiratory illness. Edwin Edwards down the steps of Louisiana's towering state Capitol Sunday and loaded it onto a horse-drawn carriage for transport to his funeral site. (AP) - Bagpipes played as an honor guard carried the flag-draped casket bearing the body of former Louisiana Gov.
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