Spotlight on History
Remembering Edwin Edwards
Former Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards has died at age 93. Edwards, a native of Avoyelles Parish and resident of Crowley, represented Louisiana’s 7th Congressional District from 1965-1972. He later served as Louisiana’s 50th Governor from 1972-1980, 1984-1988, and 1992-1996 and holds the distinction as Louisiana’s only four-term governor. After his last term in office, Edwards served eight years in federal prison on racketeering, extortion, money laundering, mail fraud, and wire fraud charges. In 2014, three years after his release from prison, Edwards made the run-off in an election for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District. Here are a few of our stories on Edwin Edwards:
Gov. Edwin Edwards Profile (1978)
See LPB’s earliest profile of Governor Edwards as he discusses the major issues of the 1978 Legislative Session on Louisiana: The State We’re In.
Gov. Edwin Edwards Interview (1980)
In this interview from Louisiana: The State We’re In, watch Governor Edwards reflect on his first two terms in office.
Campaign ’83 Preview (1982)
View this in-depth profile of Edwards from Louisiana: The State We’re In as he prepares to run for his third term against Governor Dave Treen.
The Treen/Edwards Debates (1983)
See LPB’s Beth Courtney moderate two debates between Dave Treen and Edwin Edwards. You can view the second debate here.
Inauguration (1984)
Watch LPB’s live coverage of Edwards’ third inauguration at the State Capitol. You can also see his 1992 inauguration here.
Indictment of Gov. Edwin Edwards (1985)
View an in-depth Louisiana: The State We’re In report on the indictment of Gov. Edwards by a federal grand jury and a look back at his past scandals.
Gov. Edwards’ Ranch (1988)
Watch a Louisiana: The State We’re In report on Beth Courtney’s visit to Governor Edwards’ Texas ranch for an interview and tour as his third term in office came to a close.
The Duke/Edwards Debate (1991)
See LPB’s Robert Collins moderate the run-off debate between Edwin Edwards and David Duke for the 1991 gubernatorial election.
Louisiana Legends Interview (1994)
Check out Governor Edwards’ wide-ranging interview on his life and career with host Gus Weill. You can see part 2 of the interview here.
Four Governors, One Event (2012)
In honor of CABL’s 50th anniversary, see Governor Edwards participate in a panel discussion with former Governors Roemer, Foster, and Blanco.
Edwin Edwards Interview (2014)
In this interview from Louisiana: The State We’re In, watch Edwards discuss his campaign for Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District.
Lying in State (2021)
View LPB’s live coverage of Governor Edwards lying in state at the Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge on July 17, 2021.
Remembering Edwin Edwards (2021)
Watch Andre Moreau host a special LPB program looking back at the life and career of Louisiana’s only four-term governor along with journalists Beth Courtney and Bob Courtney.