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The massive Mississippi River bridge carrying rail and auto traffic. The bridge was named after Huey P. Long following his assassination.

Huey Long's Programs & Policies

Huey Long led a bold and unprecedented effort to bring Louisiana into the 20th century — as both a functioning modern state and a more responsive democracy. His vision centered on public works, economic justice, and equal opportunity. 

Through sweeping reforms, Long modernized Louisiana’s infrastructure and public services — building roads and bridges, expanding access to education and healthcare, reforming taxation, and opening up the political system to the long-excluded poor majority. As governor and later U.S. Senator, he redefined what government could achieve for the common good, helping to lay the foundation for the most popular and enduring policies of the New Deal and the broader social safety net that would benefit Americans for generations.

Learn more about Huey Long's programs:

Share Our Wealth

Huey Long's plan to guarantee every family a decent standard of living and curb economic inequality

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Roads

Huey Long’s massive road‑building initiative: nearly 9,700 miles of new paved highways connecting rural Louisiana and modernizing the state.

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Signpost on the old road between Baton Rouge and New Orleans

Bridges

In a state with the most waterways in the nation but only three major bridges, Long's administration began work on 111 modern bridges across Louisiana.

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The Chef Menteur Bridge, a typical modern steel bridge built by the Huey Long administration

Public Works

Long’s public works revolution extended far beyond roads & bridges — building schools, hospitals, natural gas pipelines, a new airport, a vastly expanded LSU ... and the tallest State Capitol in the South.

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Huey Long and his wife Rose at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a new public works project

Education

Long expanded the public education system in Louisiana and made it possible for every child to attend school, with free textbooks and busing for all students.

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A child from Winn Parish, La., visits the bookmobile in 1938. Books were rare in rural parishes until Huey Long's statewide initiatives to educate the rural poor.

Louisiana State University

Long tripled the size of Louisiana State University (LSU), opening enrollment to able poor students and building it into one of the finest universities in the South.

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Huey Long marches with the Louisiana State University band. Long's first step to generate excitement for LSU was to quadruple the size of the marching band.

Healthcare

Long expanded the Charity Hospital System, created the Louisiana State University Medical School, reformed sanatoriums, and provided free health clinics and immunizations statewide.

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A little girl in 1938 fans her sick mother, who works in a box factory. Huey Long greatly expanded access by the rural poor to professional healthcare.

Economic Reform

Long transformed Louisiana’s economy from one that oppressed the rural poor to one that expanded opportunity and broke down long-standing economic barriers.

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Box factory worker living in poverty as a result of low wages (1938). The average wage was about one dollar a day for the average Louisiana factory worker.

A New Democracy

By ousting the aristocratic ruling elite and repealing the poll tax, Long gave over a quarter million citizens the chance to vote — nearly doubling Louisiana’s electorate.

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Huey Long shakes hands with constituents on the courthouse steps

 

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Long Legacy Project

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