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Lyons received his commission as an ensign in the [[United States Navy]] through the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, [[Illinois]]. Lyons was then assigned to duty at the Leyte Gulf in the [[Philippines]]. While headed to Leyte, his plane developed engine trouble and was compelled to land at Peleliu Island. The noted newspaperman Ernie Pyle was aboard the altered flight. Upon reaching Leyte, the small ship to which Lyons had been assigned had already departed for the [[Battle of Okinawa|invasion of Okinawa]] off the [[Japan]]ese coast. He finally reached [[Okinawa Island]], where he remained for eighteen months. At the end of the war, Lyons was in command of the ship called ''USS Landing Craft Tank 1326''. While in Okinawa, he found relief from military duties to plan a duck hunt, the story of which was carried on June 1, 1946, in the sporting-dog magazine, ''American Field''.<ref name=lyonsfamily>{{cite web|url=http://lyonsfamilytree.com/2007/11/20/hall-mccord-lyons/|title=Hall McCord Lyons|date=November 20, 2007|publisher=WordPress|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref>

Lyons received his commission as an ensign in the [[United States Navy]] through the Naval Station Great Lakes near North Chicago, [[Illinois]]. Lyons was then assigned to duty at the Leyte Gulf in the [[Philippines]]. While headed to Leyte, his plane developed engine trouble and was compelled to land at Peleliu Island. The noted newspaperman Ernie Pyle was aboard the altered flight. Upon reaching Leyte, the small ship to which Lyons had been assigned had already departed for the [[Battle of Okinawa|invasion of Okinawa]] off the [[Japan]]ese coast. He finally reached [[Okinawa Island]], where he remained for eighteen months. At the end of the war, Lyons was in command of the ship called ''USS Landing Craft Tank 1326''. While in Okinawa, he found relief from military duties to plan a duck hunt, the story of which was carried on June 1, 1946, in the sporting-dog magazine, ''American Field''.<ref name=lyonsfamily>{{cite web|url=http://lyonsfamilytree.com/2007/11/20/hall-mccord-lyons/|title=Hall McCord Lyons|date=November 20, 2007|publisher=WordPress|accessdate=August 15, 2014}}</ref>

===Oil industry===​

===Oil industry===

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After the war, Lyons completed his studies at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], from which in 1949 he received a degree in arts and sciences. After the war, Lyons lived for several years in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], where he was employed in the petroleum business with his father and a cousin, Newton Hall McCord (born in 1915 in [[New Orleans]]), who later settled in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. Lyons returned to Shreveport to become a partner in his family-owned C. H. Lyons Petroleum Company, formerly known as the Lyons, McCord & Logan company.<ref name=lyonsfamily/> When he lived in Shreveport, Lyons was, like his mother, active in the musical community there. A former president of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1948, Lyons often sang in [[opera]] presentations.<ref name=obit>Hall M. Lyons obituary, ''The Shreveport Times'', July 26, 1998.</ref>​

After the war, Lyons completed his studies at [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], from which in 1949 he received a degree in arts and sciences. After the war, Lyons lived for several years in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], where he was employed in the petroleum business with his father and a cousin, Newton Hall McCord (born in 1915 in [[New Orleans]]), who later settled in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. Lyons returned to Shreveport to become a partner in his family-owned C. H. Lyons Petroleum Company, formerly known as the Lyons, McCord & Logan company.<ref name=lyonsfamily/> When he lived in Shreveport, Lyons was, like his mother, active in the musical community there. A former president of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, which was founded in 1948, Lyons often sang in [[opera]] presentations.<ref name=obit>Hall M. Lyons obituary, ''The Shreveport Times'', July 26, 1998.</ref>​

==Political life==

==Political life==

===Republican House campaign, 1966===​

===Republican House campaign, 1966===

Both Charlton and Hall Lyons were originally [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. In 1966, having resided for nearly six years in Lafayette, Lyons entered the first of his two political races as a candidate. He challenged the reelection of the nine-term Democratic]] [[U.S. Representative]] Edwin Edward Willis (1904-1972) of St. Martinville Louisiana's 3rd congressional district seat, now held by the Republican [[Clay Higgins]]. Willis had first defeated two fellow Democrats in the 1966 party primary, State Representative Richard Guidry of Lafourche Parish and state Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc of Vermilion Parish, who had made a fortune in the patent medicine called Hadacol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1592776/|title=Everyone gets into state politics|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=August 12, 1966|location=[[Lake Charles]], [[Louisiana]]|page=15|accessdate=September 11, 2014}}</ref>​

Both Charlton and Hall Lyons were originally [[Democratic Party|Democrats]]. In 1966, having resided for nearly six years in Lafayette, Lyons entered the first of his two political races as a candidate. He challenged the reelection of the nine-term Democratic]] [[U.S. Representative]] Edwin Edward Willis (1904-1972) of St. Martinville Louisiana's 3rd congressional district seat, now held by the Republican [[Clay Higgins]]. Willis had first defeated two fellow Democrats in the 1966 party primary, State Representative Richard Guidry of Lafourche Parish and state Senator Dudley J. LeBlanc of Vermilion Parish, who had made a fortune in the patent medicine called Hadacol.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/1592776/|title=Everyone gets into state politics|publisher=''Lake Charles American Press''|date=August 12, 1966|location=[[Lake Charles]], [[Louisiana]]|page=15|accessdate=September 11, 2014}}</ref>​

Running with Lyons in the same Third Congressional District in 1966 was [[Charles and Virginia de Gravelles|Charles de Gravelles]], an oil landman from Lafayette and the successor to Charlton Lyons as state Republican chairman. DeGravelles failed to unseat Harvey Peltier, Sr. (1899-1977), in a race for the since reconfigured Louisiana State Board of Education, now the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.<ref>State of Louisiana: Secretary of State, ''Election Returns, 1965-1966'', p. 28.</ref>​

Running with Lyons in the same Third Congressional District in 1966 was [[Charles and Virginia de Gravelles|Charles de Gravelles]], an oil landman from Lafayette and the successor to Charlton Lyons as state Republican chairman. DeGravelles failed to unseat Harvey Peltier, Sr. (1899-1977), in a race for the since reconfigured Louisiana State Board of Education, now the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.<ref>State of Louisiana: Secretary of State, ''Election Returns, 1965-1966'', p. 28.</ref>​

===American Independent Party===

===American Independent Party, 1972===

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Unlike his father, who was a staunch supporter of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] in all three presidential campaigns and helped to deliver critical delegates to Nixon at the 1968 [[Republican National Convention]], Hall Lyons grew disillusioned with the [[liberal]] influence within the national Republican Party and the large number of [[Moderate Republicans]] in positions of leadership.<ref>Hall Lyons was particularly critical of such [[Moderate Republican]]s as [[Hugh Scott]] of [[Pennsylvania]], who led the Republican minority in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1977, after the death of [[Everett Dirksen]], and was usually at odds with party conservatives. Other targets were Senators [[Jacob Javits]] of [[New York]], [[Clifford  Case]] of New Jersey, [[Edward Brooke]] of [[Massachusetts]], and [[Charles Mathias]] of [[Maryland]] and Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of New York.</ref>  

Unlike his father, who was a staunch supporter of [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] in all three presidential campaigns and helped to deliver critical delegates to Nixon at the 1968 [[Republican National Convention]], Hall Lyons grew disillusioned with the [[liberal]] influence within the national Republican Party and the large number of [[Moderate Republicans]] in positions of leadership.<ref>Hall Lyons was particularly critical of such [[Moderate Republican]]s as [[Hugh Scott]] of [[Pennsylvania]], who led the Republican minority in the U.S. Senate from 1969 to 1977, after the death of [[Everett Dirksen]], and was usually at odds with party conservatives. Other targets were Senators [[Jacob Javits]] of [[New York]], [[Clifford  Case]] of New Jersey, [[Edward Brooke]] of [[Massachusetts]], and [[Charles Mathias]] of [[Maryland]] and Governor [[Nelson Rockefeller]] of New York.</ref>  

Though the senior Lyons and his wife were [[Episcopalians]], Hall Lyons turned [[Mormon]]. Services were held at a Latter Day Saints meetinghouse in Shreveport.<ref name=obit/> Burial was in the Lyons family plot at Forest Park East Cemetery in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lyons+&GSfn=Hall&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=64566884&df=all&|title=Hall McCord Lyons|author=John Andrew Prime|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=August 17, 2014}}</ref> Pallbearers included Lyons' boyhood friend, Republican former state Represenatives Benjamin F. "Ben" O'Neal, Jr. (1922-2004), of Shreveport and Lyons's son-in-law, Wayne Kent Despain (born 1953).<ref name=obit/>​

Though the senior Lyons and his wife were [[Episcopalians]], Hall Lyons turned [[Mormon]]. Services were held at a Latter Day Saints meetinghouse in Shreveport.<ref name=obit/> Burial was in the Lyons family plot at Forest Park East Cemetery in Shreveport.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Lyons+&GSfn=Hall&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=64566884&df=all&|title=Hall McCord Lyons|author=John Andrew Prime|publisher=findagrave.com|accessdate=August 17, 2014}}</ref> Pallbearers included Lyons' boyhood friend, Republican former state Represenatives Benjamin F. "Ben" O'Neal, Jr. (1922-2004), of Shreveport and Lyons's son-in-law, Wayne Kent Despain (born 1953).<ref name=obit/>​

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==References==

==References==

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[[Category:Louisiana People]]​

[[Category:Louisiana People]]​