Changes

'''Joseph David Waggonner, Jr.''', known as '''Joe Waggonner''' (September 7, 1918 – October 7, 2007), was a [[Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[Louisiana]]'s Fourth Congressional District, who served from 1961 to 1979. He was active in what was later known as the [[Conservative Democrat|Boll Weevil Democrats]], who sometimes supported [[Republican]] positions on fiscal and foreign policies.

'''Joseph David Waggonner, Jr.''', known as '''Joe Waggonner''' (September 7, 1918 – October 7, 2007), was a [[Democratic]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from [[Louisiana]]'s Fourth Congressional District, who served from 1961 to 1979. He was active in what was later known as the [[Conservative Democrat|Boll Weevil Democrats]], who sometimes supported [[Republican]] positions on fiscal and foreign policies.

A businessman originally from Plain Dealing in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana, Waggonner had an exemplary record in [[World War II]] and graduated from [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. He was long active in Louisiana Tech alumni affairs. In the 1950s, he was a member of the Bossier Parish School Board. In 1961, he served on the elected Louisiana State Board of Education. In 1959, Waggonner was an unsuccessful primary candidate for the since disbanded position of Louisiana state comptroller, having run on the strongly [[segregation]]ist intraparty ticket headed by State Senator [[William Rainach]] of Claiborne Parish. [[Roy Theriot]], the then mayor of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish, won the race.  

A businessman originally from Plain Dealing in Bossier Parish in northwestern Louisiana, Waggonner had an exemplary record in [[World War II]] and graduated from [[Louisiana Tech University]] in [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]]. He was long active in Louisiana Tech alumni affairs. In the 1950s, he was a member of the Bossier Parish School Board. In 1961, he served on the elected Louisiana State Board of Education. In 1959, Waggonner was an unsuccessful primary candidate for the since disbanded position of Louisiana state comptroller, having run on the strongly [[segregation]]ist intraparty ticket headed by State Senator [[William Rainach]] of Claiborne Parish. Victory in the race went to another Democrat, [[Roy Theriot]].  

Waggonner was initially elected to Congress in a special election held in December 1961 to succeed Democrat Thomas Overton Brooks, who died in office. He defeated the Republican choice, [[Charlton Lyons]], an oilman from [[Shreveport]] but like Waggonner's former intra-party opponent a native of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish. Waggonner carried the backing of the conservative ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' edited at the time by [[George W. Shannon]]. Lyons subsequently ran for governor in 1964 against Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]], that time with Shannon's editorial support. Thereafter, Waggonner rarely had opposition. In 1968, he faced an [[African American]] challenger, fellow Democrat Leon Tarver of  Shreveport, the brother of a current state Senator, Greg Tarver.

Waggonner was initially elected to Congress in a special election held in December 1961 to succeed Democrat Thomas Overton Brooks, who died in office. He defeated the Republican choice, [[Charlton Lyons]], an oilman from [[Shreveport]] but like Waggonner's former intra-party opponent a native of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish. Waggonner carried the backing of the conservative ''[[Shreveport Journal]],'' edited at the time by [[George W. Shannon]]. Lyons subsequently ran for governor in 1964 against Democrat [[John J. McKeithen]], that time with Shannon's editorial support. Thereafter, Waggonner rarely had opposition. In 1968, he faced an [[African American]] challenger, fellow Democrat Leon Tarver of  Shreveport, the brother of a current state Senator, Greg Tarver.