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'''Erle Edwards Barham'', known as '''Edwards Barham''' (July 10, 1937 &ndash; October 17, 2014,) was an [[United States|American]] [[business]]man, [[farmer]], and conservationist from  Oak Ridge, a [[village]] in Morehouse Parish in northeastern [[Louisiana]]. He was the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] elected — by a 29-vote margin — to the Louisiana State Senate since the era of [[Reconstruction|Reconstruction]]. Barham represented the agricultural District 33 from 1976 to 1980. Barham was narrowly unseated in the 1979 nonpartisan blanket[[ primary]] by a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], David "Bo" Ginn of Bastrop, who held the seat until 1988.<ref>David 'Bo' Ginn announced his candidacy in 1987 for Louisiana Secretary of State but withdrew from that race, and victory went to then Democrat, later Republican convert, Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005).</ref>​

'''Erle Edwards Barham'', known as '''Edwards Barham''' (July 10, 1937 &ndash; October 17, 2014,) was an [[United States|American]] [[business]]man, [[farmer]], and conservationist from  Oak Ridge, a [[village]] in Morehouse Parish in northeastern [[Louisiana]]. He was the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] elected — by a 29-vote margin — to the Louisiana State Senate since the era of [[Reconstruction|Reconstruction]]. Barham represented the agricultural District 33 from 1976 to 1980. Barham was narrowly unseated in the 1979 nonpartisan blanket[[ primary]] by a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]], David "Bo" Ginn of Bastrop, who held the seat until 1988.<ref>David 'Bo' Ginn announced his candidacy in 1987 for Louisiana Secretary of State but withdrew from that race, and victory went to then Democrat, later Republican convert, Walter Fox McKeithen (1946-2005).</ref>​

==Background==​

==Background==

Barham was born to Erle McKoin "Ninety" Barham (1916–1976), a Louisiana native, and the former Rosalie Smith (1913–1999), originally from [[Missouri]]. He graduated in 1955 from Oak Ridge High School and received a bachelor's degree from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], where he was a member of Sigma Chi]  fraternity. He subsequently obtained a master's degree in ornithology from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]] (then Northeast Louisiana State College).<ref name=obit/> In the early 1970s, [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] named Barham to head a [[White House]] conservation initiative.<ref name=farmandfowl/> ​

Barham was born to Erle McKoin "Ninety" Barham (1916–1976), a Louisiana native, and the former Rosalie Smith (1913–1999), originally from [[Missouri]]. He graduated in 1955 from Oak Ridge High School and received a bachelor's degree from [[Louisiana State University]] in [[Baton Rouge]], where he was a member of Sigma Chi]  fraternity. He subsequently obtained a master's degree in ornithology from the [[University of Louisiana at Monroe]] (then Northeast Louisiana State College).<ref name=obit/> In the early 1970s, [[U.S. President]] [[Richard M. Nixon]] named Barham to head a [[White House]] conservation initiative.<ref name=farmandfowl/> ​