Russell B. Long
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The son of Senators Rose McConnell Long and Huey Long, Russell Long served during the administrations of eight U.S. presidents, from Truman to Reagan. According to biographer Bob Mann, Long "became a leading voice for the plight of the elderly, the disabled, the working poor and the middle class." Long quietly wielded enormous power in the Senate and shaped some of the most significant tax legislation of the twentieth century.
While a student at LSU, Long met and married Katherine Hattic. They had two daughters, Kay and Pamela. In 1969 they divorced and he married Carolyn Bason.
As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Long held jurisdiction over 100 percent of all federal revenue and 40 percent of all government spending, including Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, welfare and food assistance programs, foreign trade, and tariffs. In 1980 he was voted the most effective chairman and most effective debater by his colleagues in a ''U.S. News & World Report'' survey. In a 1982 survey, Long was voted the most influential Democrat by his Senate colleagues. The ''Wall Street Journal'' once called him "the fourth branch of government." Upon his retirement in 1987, Long had a 75 percent approval rating among Louisiana voters. Provided by Wikipedia
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