Kingfish U

"No Louisiana leader has been more closely associated with Louisiana State University than Governor and U.S. Senator Huey P. Long, who devoted the last five years of his life to turning the small, undistinguished state school into an academic and football powerhouse. From the time he declared himself the 'official thief' for LSU in 1930 to his death in September 1935, the school's budget flourished, its physical plant burgeoned, its faculty grew in numbers and reputation, and its student body tripled. During this time, no university in the South experienced more growth in size and stature than LSU--and Long's enthusiasm for the school was behind almost every aspect of it. In addition to improving LSU's academic reputation, Long also believed its future and its national visibility were tied to the success of the school's football team and its band. Not an avid football fan before 1930, Long took an intense interest in the LSU Tigers. He attended home games and many out-of-town games. He gave pre-game and halftime pep talks to players. He devised plays and stalked the sidelines during games. He poured money into a larger, flashier band, supervised the hiring of two band directors and, with the second one, wrote a new fight song, 'Touchdown for LSU,' still played today. During Long's time as governor, the school's president--who later went to prison for misusing university funds--answered to Long as much as to the LSU Board of Supervisors. While he rarely meddled in academic affairs of the university, Long did insist that no faculty member criticize him publicly. When students or faculty from 'his school' opposed him, retribution was swift. Kingfish U is the story of Huey Long's intense and active involvement with LSU from 1928 through 1935. It also chronicles Long's lingering legacy at LSU, including the school's hyper-politicized governance and the importance of football to the school's political capital and public standing"

Robert Mann is the author of numerous books, most recently Becoming Ronald Reagan: The Rise of a Conservative Icon and Backrooms and Bayous: My Life in Louisiana Politics. He holds the Manship Chair in Journalism at the Manship School of Mass Communication, Louisiana State University.