Henry L. Fuqua

Henry Luse Fuqua (born November 8, 1865 in Baton Rouge , Louisiana ; † October 11, 1926 ibid) was an American politician and governor of the state of Louisiana from 1924 to 1926 .

Early years and political advancement

Henry Fuqua attended Magruder's Collegiate Institute and Louisiana State University . After that he was employed by a railway company for a short time, after which he worked as a dealer. Eventually he built his own hardware store in Baton Rouge, which he ran between 1883 and 1922.

Henry Fuqua was a member of the Democratic Party . In addition to his hardware business, Fuqua served as the head of the Louisiana Penitentiary from 1916 to 1924. In this capacity he dismissed most of the old guards and replaced them with guards trusted by the inmates. This reduced some of the tension in the institution. He also got rid of the stripes on convict uniforms. In 1922, the institution was enlarged through acquisitions. On April 22, 1924, Fuqua was elected as his party's candidate for the new governor of his state.

Louisiana Governor

Henry Fuqua took up his new office on May 19, 1924. As governor, he continued the fight against the influential Ku Klux Klan , which his predecessor John Milliken Parker had begun . To this end, wearing masks was made a criminal offense and crimes committed while wearing a mask were punished more severely. The carnival known in New Orleans under the name Mardi Gras was of course excluded from this mask ban . Otherwise, the budget for Louisiana State University was increased and the road network of the state expanded. The award of the concession for a bridge over Lake Pontchartrain to the Watson Williams Group, represented by former Governor Jared Y. Sanders , sparked domestic political discussions. Governor Henry Fuqua died on October 11, 1926 while he was still in office, and Lieutenant Governor Oramel H. Simpson had to end his term of office. He had two children with his wife, Laura Matta.

literature

Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport, 1978. 4 volumes.

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personal data
SURNAME	Fuqua, Henry L.
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Fuqua, Henry Luse
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	November 8, 1865
PLACE OF BIRTH	Baton Rouge , Louisiana
DATE OF DEATH	October 11, 1926
Place of death	Baton Rouge , Louisiana