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{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name= Robert Towley "Bob" Mann, Jr.<br>
| name= Robert Townley "Bob" Mann, Jr.<br>
(Louisiana State University journalism professor)
(Louisiana State University journalism professor)
| image=Bob Mann-BW.jpg
| image=Bob Mann-BW.jpg
University of California at Dominguez Hills, [[California]]
University of California at Dominguez Hills, [[California]]
}}
}}
'''Robert Townley Mann, Jr.''', known as '''Bob Mann''' (born September 2, 1958), is a [[journalist]] and primarily political [[historian]] who holds the Douglas Manship Chair of Journalism at [[Louisiana State University]] in the capital city of [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]. He also pens a weekly political column for ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'' in [[New Orleans]]..
'''Robert Townley Mann, Jr.''', known as '''Bob Mann''' (born September 2, 1958), is a [[journalist]] and primarily political [[historian]] who is stepping down in May 2024 from his position as the Douglas Manship Chair of Journalism at [[Louisiana State University]] in the capital city of [[Baton Rouge]], [[Louisiana]]. He also pens a weekly political column for ''The New Orleans Times-Picayune'' in [[New Orleans]]..
The day after the election of [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Jeff Landry]] as [[governor]], Mann announced that he is leaving the journalism position in protest to voter choices. "My reasons are simple: The person who will be governor in January has already asked LSU to fire me. And I have no confidence the leadership of this university would protect the Manship School [of Mass Communication] against a governor’s efforts to punish me and other faculty members"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/lsu-prof-resigns-after-politician-he-s-shared-years-long-beef-with-is-elected-guv/ar-AA1igy1m?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=DCTS&cvid=8076eb01dfa447ca9262cfb490b43ad0&ei=57|title=LSU Prof Resigns After Politician He’s Shared Years-Long Beef With Is Elected Guv|publisher=''The Daily Beast''|author=AJ McDougall|date=October 16, 2023}}</ref>
==Background==
==Background==
Mann is the son of Robert Mann, Sr. (1924-2008), a native of [[Beaumont]], [[Texas]], and the former Charlene Elizabeth Wellhausen (born c. 1935). The senior Mann died in Fredericksburg, [[Virginia]], where their son, Paul Edward Mann (born 1962), resides. Bob Mann also has a sister, Sarah Elizabeth Luker of Seabrook, near [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. The senior Mann was a veteran of the [[United States Coast Guard]] during [[World War II]] and was employed by Sun Oil Company and was for more than two decades a [[Church of Christ]] minister in Texas, Louisiana, and [[New Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peerygenealogy.com/home/e1690.htm|title=Robert Townley Mann, Sr.|publisher=''The Beaumont Enterprise'', August 13, 2008|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref>
Mann is the son of Robert Mann, Sr. (1924-2008), a native of [[Beaumont]], [[Texas]], and the former Charlene Elizabeth Wellhausen (born c. 1935). The senior Mann died in Fredericksburg, [[Virginia]], where their son, Paul Edward Mann (born 1962), resides. Bob Mann also has a sister, Sarah Elizabeth Luker of Seabrook, near [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. The senior Mann was a veteran of the [[United States Coast Guard]] during [[World War II]] and was employed by Sun Oil Company and was for more than two decades a [[Church of Christ]] minister in Texas, Louisiana, and [[New Mexico]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.peerygenealogy.com/home/e1690.htm|title=Robert Townley Mann, Sr.|publisher=''The Beaumont Enterprise'', August 13, 2008|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref>
==Political life==
==Political life==
Mann attended the University of Louisiana at [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], at wich [[Dave Norris]] was his economics professor; from 1978 to 2018, Norris was the [[mayor]] of West Monroe located west of the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. After a stint with the since defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]'' in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, Mann worked for the ''[[Monroe News Star]],''<ref name=blog/> which assigned him to cover the West Monroe City Hall, which allowed him to renew his friendship with Mayor Norris.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bobmannblog.com/2012/06/12/three-tiger-stadiums-filled-with-poor-children-the-scandal-of-poverty-in-louisiana/|title=Three Tiger Stadiums Filled With Poor Children: The Scandal of Poverty in Louisiana|date=June 12, 2012|publisher=bobmannblog.com|accessdate=October 29, 2013}}</ref> He also attended California State University in Dominguez Hills, [[California]].
Mann attended the University of Louisiana at [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], at which [[Dave Norris]] was his economics professor; from 1978 to 2018, Norris was the [[mayor]] of West Monroe located west of the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish. After a stint with the since
defunct ''[[Shreveport Journal]]'' in [[Shreveport]], Louisiana, Mann worked for the ''[[Monroe News Star]],''<ref name=blog/> which assigned him to cover the West Monroe City Hall, which allowed him to renew his friendship with Mayor Norris.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bobmannblog.com/2012/06/12/three-tiger-stadiums-filled-with-poor-children-the-scandal-of-poverty-in-louisiana/|title=Three Tiger Stadiums Filled With Poor Children: The Scandal of Poverty in Louisiana|date=June 12, 2012|publisher=bobmannblog.com|accessdate=October 29, 2013}}</ref> He also attended California State University in Dominguez Hills, [[California]].
A committed [[Democratic Party|Democrat]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/home.aspx|title=Robert Townley Mann, Jr.|publisher=voterportal.sos.la.gov|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref> Mann joined the staff of [[U.S. Senator]] [[Russell Long]] of Louisiana late in Long's lengthy tenure in office. He continued as state director and press secretary under Long's successor, [[John Breaux]], another Democrat. In 1990, he was press secretary for the final reelection of U.S. Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], who defeated the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman [[David Duke]], then a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. In 2003, Mann was communications director for [[Kathleen Blanco]], the [[Lafayette]] Democrat who that year defeated [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bobby Jindal]] for [[governor]] of Louisiana but bowed out after one term, only to be succeeded in 2008 by Jindal.<ref name=blog>{{cite web|url=http://bobmannblog.com/about/|title=About Bob Mann|publisher=bobmannblog.com|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref>
A committed [[Democratic Party|Democrat]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/home.aspx|title=Robert Townley Mann, Jr.|publisher=voterportal.sos.la.gov|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref> Mann joined the staff of [[U.S. Senator]] [[Russell Long]] of Louisiana late in Long's lengthy tenure in office. He continued as state director and press secretary under Long's successor, [[John Breaux]], another Democrat. In 1990, he was press secretary for the final reelection of U.S. Senator [[J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.]], who defeated the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman [[David Duke]], then a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives. In 2003, Mann was communications director for [[Kathleen Blanco]], the [[Lafayette]] Democrat who that year defeated [[Republican Party|Republican]] [[Bobby Jindal]] for [[governor]] of Louisiana but bowed out after one term, only to be succeeded in 2008 by Jindal.<ref name=blog>{{cite web|url=http://bobmannblog.com/about/|title=About Bob Mann|publisher=bobmannblog.com|accessdate=October 18, 2013}}</ref>