Changes

| succeeded=Sharon B. Robinson​

| succeeded=Sharon B. Robinson​

| birth_date =April 16, 1929

| birth_date =April 16, 1929

|birth_place =[[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], USA​

| birth_place =[[Pittsburgh]], [[Pennsylvania]], USA​

| death_date =February 16, 2004 (aged 74)

| death_date =February 16, 2004 (aged 74)

| death_place =[[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]​

| death_place =[[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]​

|occupation =|[[Journalist]]<br>

| occupation=|[[Journalist]]<br>

State inspector general​<br>

State inspector general​<br>

[[United States Marine Corps]]

[[United States Marine Corps]]

| alma_mater=[[Louisiana State University]]​

| alma_mater=[[Louisiana State University]]​

}}​

}}​

'''William Hawthorn Lynch, Sr.''', known as '''Bill Lynch''' (April 16, 1929 &ndash; 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 &ndash; 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.

==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 began 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/>​

 

From 1979 to 1988, he worked at the Baton Rouge bureau of ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'', during which time his investigations into the third term of Governor [[Edwin Edwards]] led to Edwards' indictment in 1984 on federal charges dealing with the licensure of hospitals and nursing homes. Edwards and his brother, Marion Edwards, were acquitted in a second trial after a hung jury developed in the first case.<ref name=bio/>​ But Edwards later wound up with a prison sentence on another charge.

From 1979 to 1988, he worked at the Baton Rouge bureau of ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'', during which time his investigations into the third term of Governor [[Edwin Edwards]] led to Edwards' indictment in 1984 on federal charges dealing with the licensure of hospitals and nursing homes. Edwards and his brother, Marion Edwards, were acquitted in a second trial after a [[hung jury]] developed in the first case.<ref name=bio/> Edwards was later imprisoned for his role in a separate crime.

 

In 1978, Lynch was featured in "Reporter's Notebook" on the [[Public Broadcasting Service]] weekly series, ''Louisiana: The State We're In.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ladigitalmedia.org/video_v2/sublisting/LSWI/39|title="Louisiana The State We're In''|publisher=Ladigitalmedia.org|accessdate=March 12, 2019}}</ref>

 

In April 1988, Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], under executive order, named Lynch to the newly established position of inspector general because, in Roemer's words, Lynch had "honor, honesty and a knowledge of government. He was the inspector general of the press corps. He called it like he saw it. He wasn't in anybody's pocket. He cared about Louisiana and wanted to make it a better place."<ref name=bio/> Lynch remained Inspector General until his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oig.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&nid=6&pnid=2&pid=3&catid=0|title=History|publisher=oig. Louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 26, 2013}}</ref>

In April 1988, Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], under executive order, named Lynch to the newly established position of inspector general because, in Roemer's words, Lynch had "honor, honesty and a knowledge of government. He was the inspector general of the press corps. He called it like he saw it. He wasn't in anybody's pocket. He cared about Louisiana and wanted to make it a better place."<ref name=bio/> Lynch remained Inspector General until his death.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://oig.louisiana.gov/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&nid=6&pnid=2&pid=3&catid=0|title=History|publisher=oig. Louisiana.gov|accessdate=November 26, 2013}}</ref>

==Legacy==

==Legacy==

 

Lynch died in Baton Rouge at the age of seventy-four after hospitalization from complications related to heart disease. Upon his death, then Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] termed Lynch "one of our state's legendary journalists and a talented man of great character who helped make a stronger Louisiana. ... He relentlessly aimed his journalistic light into the dark places of Louisiana politics.  ... As inspector general, he continued his crusade to clean up our political system by exposing wasteful spending and corruption. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, devotion, and courage."<ref name=bio/>​

Lynch died in Baton Rouge at the age of seventy-four after hospitalization from complications related to heart disease. Upon his death, then Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] termed Lynch "one of our state's legendary journalists and a talented man of great character who helped make a stronger Louisiana. ... He relentlessly aimed his journalistic light into the dark places of Louisiana politics.  ... As inspector general, he continued his crusade to clean up our political system by exposing wasteful spending and corruption. He leaves behind a legacy of integrity, devotion, and courage."<ref name=bio/>​

 

Jack Wardlaw, who headed the capital bureaus of both ''The States-Item'' and ''The Times-Picayune'', said that Lynch, whom he had known for more than twenty years, "carried his reputation for honesty and integrity with him from reporting and into the inspector general's office."<ref name=bio/>​

[[Jack Wardlaw]], who headed the capital bureaus of both ''The States-Item'' and ''The Times-Picayune'', said that Lynch, whom he had known for more than twenty years, "carried his reputation for honesty and integrity with him from reporting and into the inspector general's office."<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/>​

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/>​

 

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.​

 

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.​

 

Lynch had two sons, Bill Lynch, Jr. (born 1962), of Baton Rouge and Jonathan D. Lynch (born 1968) of Flowery Branch, [[Georgia]].<ref name=bio/>

Lynch had two sons, Bill Lynch, Jr. (born 1962), of Baton Rouge and Jonathan D. Lynch (born 1968) of Flowery Branch, [[Georgia]].<ref name=bio/>

==References==​

==References==

​{{reflist}}​

{{reflist}}

 

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Bill}}​

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lynch, Bill}}​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​

[[Category:Journalists]]​

[[Category:Journalists]]​

[[Category:United States Marine Corps]]​

[[Category:United States Marine Corps]]​