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'''William Hawthorn Lynch, Sr.''', known as '''Bill Lynch''' (April 16, 1929 – February 15, 2004), was an [[United States|American]] [[journalist]] who served as the first Inspector General of the U.S. state of [[Louisiana]], a position which involves investigations into public corruption, misuse of state property, and governmental inefficiency.

'''William Hawthorn Lynch, Sr.''', known as '''Bill Lynch''' (April 16, 1929 – February 15, 2004), was an [[United States|American]] [[journalist]] who served as the first Inspector General of the U.S. state of [[Louisiana]], a position which involves investigations into public corruption, misuse of state property, and governmental inefficiency.

==Background==​

==Background==

 

Lynch was born in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], and reared, first, in [[New York City]] and then in rural Elizabeth in Allen Parish in south Louisiana. In 1951, he graduated from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]] and then spent two years in the [[United States Marine Corps]], in which he attained the rank of staff sergeant. In 1948, Lynch was a temporary sportswriter for ''The Shreveport Times'' in [[Shreveport]] in northwestern Louisiana.<ref name=bio>''New Orleans Times-Picayune'', February 16, 2004.</ref>​

Lynch was born in [[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], and reared, first, in [[New York City]] and then in rural Elizabeth in Allen Parish in south Louisiana. In 1951, he graduated from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]] and then spent two years in the [[United States Marine Corps]], in which he attained the rank of staff sergeant. In 1948, Lynch was a temporary sportswriter for ''The Shreveport Times'' in [[Shreveport]] in northwestern Louisiana.<ref name=bio>''New Orleans Times-Picayune'', February 16, 2004.</ref>​

==Journalist and inspector general==​

==Journalist and inspector general==

 

After his military service concluded in 1953, Lynch returned to ''The Shreveport Times'', where he became an assistant city editor and political reporter until 1965. At ''The  Times'', Lynch covered the 1959 saga of then [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], the relationship with stripper Blaze Starr, and Long's commitment to the state mental hospital in Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish. He established ''The Shreveport Times'' bureau in Baton Rouge, from which he did most of his newspaper investigative work. In 1965, he launched a 14-year association with the since defunct ''New Orleans States-Item''. He covered the destructive Hurricane Betsy, which struck the [[Gulf Coast]] and [[New Orleans]] area in 1965.<ref name=bio/>​

After his military service concluded in 1953, Lynch returned to ''The Shreveport Times'', where he became an assistant city editor and political reporter until 1965. At ''The  Times'', Lynch covered the 1959 saga of then [[Governor]] [[Earl Long|Earl Kemp Long]], the relationship with stripper Blaze Starr, and Long's commitment to the state mental hospital in Mandeville in St. Tammany Parish. He established ''The Shreveport Times'' bureau in Baton Rouge, from which he did most of his newspaper investigative work. In 1965, he launched a 14-year association with the since defunct ''New Orleans States-Item''. He covered the destructive Hurricane Betsy, which struck the [[Gulf Coast]] and [[New Orleans]] area in 1965.<ref name=bio/>​

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In the second Edwards administration, the legislature passed the so-called "Lynch Law", which allowed courts to assess punitive damages in [[libel]] cases, but the measure was repealed during the term of [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]]. When Edwards returned for his fourth term as governor in 1992, he retained Lynch as inspector general as a concession to Roemer, whose support he drew in the 1991 gubernatorial [[general election]] with [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman who was the nominal Republican candidate that year.<ref name=bio/>​

In the second Edwards administration, the legislature passed the so-called "Lynch Law", which allowed courts to assess punitive damages in [[libel]] cases, but the measure was repealed during the term of [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]]. When Edwards returned for his fourth term as governor in 1992, he retained Lynch as inspector general as a concession to Roemer, whose support he drew in the 1991 gubernatorial [[general election]] with [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman who was the nominal Republican candidate that year.<ref name=bio/>​

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However, Edwards believed that the office of inspector general constituted a duplication of services provided by the Louisiana State Police, state ttorney general, and local [[district attorney]]s. He therefore stripped Lynch of much of his power. No longer could the inspector general investigate colleges and universities; at the time Lynch had been conducting probes into various activities involving Nicholls State University in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish]], [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], and LSU and the historically black [[Southern University]] in Baton Rouge. Lynch was allowed to continue to investigate the governor—something of a challenge that Edwards set forward—but could not investigate any of the six other statewide officials.<ref>"Governor Edwards outlines powers of the state's inspector general", ''Minden Press-Herald'', August 21, 1992, p. 1.</ref> Subsequent governors set their own priorities for the inspector general's office.​

However, Edwards believed that the office of inspector general constituted a duplication of services provided by the Louisiana State Police, state ttorney general, and local [[district attorney]]s. He therefore stripped Lynch of much of his power. No longer could the inspector general investigate colleges and universities; at the time Lynch had been conducting probes into various activities involving Nicholls State University in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish]], [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], and LSU and the historically black Southern University in Baton Rouge. Lynch was allowed to continue to investigate the governor—something of a challenge that Edwards set forward—but could not investigate any of the six other statewide officials.<ref>"Governor Edwards outlines powers of the state's inspector general", ''Minden Press-Herald'', August 21, 1992, p. 1.</ref> Subsequent governors set their own priorities for the inspector general's office.​

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Lynch was twice honored by the Alliance for Good Government in New Orleans and by the New Orleans Press Club.<ref name=bio/> In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php|title=Louisiana Political Museum (2005)|publisher=Lapoliticalmuseum.com|accessdate=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Lynch's colleague, Jack Wardlaw, was inducted into the hall of fame a year earlier in 2004.​

Lynch was twice honored by the Alliance for Good Government in New Orleans and by the New Orleans Press Club.<ref name=bio/> In 2005, he was posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lapoliticalmuseum.com/inductees.php|title=Louisiana Political Museum (2005)|publisher=Lapoliticalmuseum.com|accessdate=March 11, 2019}}</ref> Lynch's colleague, Jack Wardlaw, was inducted into the hall of fame a year earlier in 2004.​