Oral history interview with Lindy Boggs, January 31, 1974

Lindy Boggs discusses her involvement in Louisiana politics dating back to the 1930s, when she was involved in the People's League during her years in law school. At the time, Boggs' husband, Hale Boggs, presided over the People's League, which was dedicated to maintaining integrity in government and ensuring that the government serve the people well. According to Boggs, the most significant changes to Louisiana politics occurred after World War II with the gradual elimination of the "race issue." With greater voter participation, the tradition of long-standing congressional leadership began to change, allowing for the introduction of fresh perspectives in Congress. Boggs' husband had served as the majority leader in Congress until his untimely demise in a 1972 plane crash, at which point Lindy Boggs took over his seat in the legislature, where she served for nearly twenty years. Boggs offers comments on the Louisiana congressional delegation as a "single bloc," and she discusses what she saw as the prevailing power of the South in Congress. Also considered is the impact of the women's movement on congressional activities and the role of what Boggs calls "southern graciousness" in congressional interactions.