Edwin E. Willis

Edwin Edward Willis (October 2, 1904-- October 24, 1972) was an American politician from the U.S. state of Louisiana. A Democrat, he served in the Louisiana state Senate and, later, in the United States House of Representatives. He was a member of the Earl Kemp Long political faction.

Willis was born in Arnaudville, in St. Landry Parish. He was the eleventh of twelve children of Olanda Willis and the former Julia Hardy. He graduated from St. Martinville High School in St. Martin Parish. In 1926, Willis graduated from the law school of Loyola University in New Orleans. He began his law practice in New Orleans. He also owned and operated a plantation in St. Martin Parish.

He was elected to the Louisiana state senate in 1948 and served only a year, for he was elected to the U.S. House later in 1948. With Earl Long's support, Willis unseated James R. Domengeaux in the Democratic House primary. Willis held the congressional seat for nine terms, 1949 to 1969. He was the chairman of the Committee on Un-American Activities during the 89th and 90th Congresses (1965-1969).

In Congress, Willis sought to secure subsidies for constituent sugar planters. he successfully sponsored legislation to obtain federal funding for the protective levee in the Morganza spillway. With other Louisiana congressmen, he fought for federal royalty payments to the state from tidelands oil revenues.

In 1966, Willis defeated Lafayette oilman Hall McCord Lyons (1923-1998), son of Republican state chairman and former gubernatorial candidate Charlton Havard Lyons, Sr., of Shreveport. Willis received 46,533 votes (59.7 percent) to Lyons' 31,444 (40.3 percent). Lyons won Iberia Parish with 51.4 percent of the vote, and he received 46 percent in Lafayette Parish. In retrospect, 1966 was a warning to Willis about his electoral future.

Willis, who supported President Lyndon B. Johnson and compiled a liberal voting record in Congress, was denied renomination in 1968 by a conservative Democrat, Patrick Thomson "Pat" Caffery (born 1932). Caffery won the general election and held the seat until January 1973, when he stepped down to return to his law practice in New Iberia.

Willis died in St. Martinville.