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]]​

==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the so-called "Lynch Law", which allowed courts to assess punitive damages in [[libel]] cases, but the measure was repealed during the term of [[Republican Party|Republican]] Governor [[David C. Treen]].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]]​