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Prior to being governor, Edwards had been a member of the city council in Crowley in Acadia Parish in south Louisiana. He then served briefly in the Louisiana State Senate until he won a special election in 1965 for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]], in which he served until his initial inauguration as governor.

Prior to being governor, Edwards had been a member of the city council in Crowley in Acadia Parish in south Louisiana. He then served briefly in the Louisiana State Senate until he won a special election in 1965 for a seat in the [[United States House of Representatives]], in which he served until his initial inauguration as governor.

During his political career Edwards was known for his arrogance, even (successfully) claiming that the only way he could lose an election was to be "caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy" (of course, had he run in San Francisco, either would have gotten him an overwhelming majority).

During his political career Edwards was known for his arrogance, even (successfully) claiming that the only way he could lose an election was to be "caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy" (of course, had he run in San Francisco, either would have gotten him an overwhelming majority). On taking office in 1972, he named the labor and [[civil rights]] activist, [[A. Z. Young]] of Bogalusa as the first black to head a state government agency, the Department of Hospitals.

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Edwards served time in federal prison after his tenure as governor ended. Edwards was found guilty on seventeen of twenty-six counts in relation to the location of a prison in La Salle Parish. The convictions included racketeering, [[extortion]], [[money laundering]], [[mail fraud]] and wire fraud; Stephen Edwards, his son from his first marriage to the former [[Elaine Edwards|Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg]] (1929-2018),<ref name=elaine>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref> was convicted on eighteen counts. Elaine Edwards had served from July to November 1972 by her husband's appointment as an interim [[U.S. Senator]] following the death of [[Allen J. Ellender]].<ref name=elaine/>

A native of Marksville in Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, Edwards served time in federal prison after his tenure as governor ended. Edwards was found guilty on seventeen of twenty-six counts in relation to the location of a prison in La Salle Parish. The convictions included racketeering, [[extortion]], [[money laundering]], [[mail fraud]] and wire fraud; Stephen Edwards, his son from his first marriage to the former [[Elaine Edwards|Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg]] (1929-2018),<ref name=elaine>{{cite web|url=http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies: Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|author=Tyler Bridges|date=May 14, 2018|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref> was convicted on eighteen counts. Elaine Edwards had served from July to November 1972 by her husband's appointment as an interim [[U.S. Senator]] following the death of [[Allen J. Ellender]].<ref name=elaine/>