Hale Boggs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hale Boggs
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Hale Boggs in March 1971
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| House Majority Leader | |
| In office January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1973 |
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| Deputy | Tip O'Neill |
| Speaker | Carl Albert |
| Preceded by | Carl Albert |
| Succeeded by | Tip O'Neill |
| House Majority Whip | |
| In office January 10, 1962 – January 3, 1971 |
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| Leader | Carl Albert |
| Preceded by | Carl Albert |
| Succeeded by | Tip O'Neill |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district |
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| In office January 3, 1947 – January 3, 1973 |
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| Preceded by | Paul H. Maloney |
| Succeeded by | Lindy Boggs |
| In office January 3, 1941 – January 3, 1943 |
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| Preceded by | Paul H. Maloney |
| Succeeded by | Paul H. Maloney |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Thomas Hale Boggs
February 15, 1914 Long Beach, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4, including Barbara, Tommy, and Cokie |
| Education | Tulane University (BA, LLB) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1943-1946 |
| Rank | Ensign |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Disappeared | October 16, 1972 (aged 58) Alaska, U.S. |
| Status | Declared dead in absentia December 29, 1972 (aged 58) |
Hale Boggs (born February 15, 1914) was an American Democratic politician. He served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for New Orleans, Louisiana. He became the House Majority Leader. He was also part of the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
In 1972, while still a leader in Congress, Boggs was on a trip to Alaska. The small plane he was on, along with Alaska Congressman Nick Begich and two others, vanished. They were flying from Anchorage to Juneau. The plane and its passengers were never found. He was officially declared dead later that year.
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Early Life and Education
Hale Boggs was born in Long Beach, Mississippi, on February 15, 1914. His parents were Claire Josephine Hale and William Robertson Boggs. He attended Tulane University, where he studied journalism and earned a bachelor's degree in 1934. He then went on to get a law degree in 1937.
After finishing his studies, Boggs started working as a lawyer in New Orleans. He soon became involved in politics. He worked to reduce the influence of powerful politicians like U.S. Senator Huey Long.
His Political Career
Serving in Congress
As a Democrat, Boggs was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1940. He represented Louisiana's Second District from 1941 to 1943. At 27 years old, he was the youngest member of Congress at that time.
His first election had some issues. Five of his political helpers were found guilty of changing votes. This case, called United States v. Classic, went all the way to the Supreme Court. The court's decision helped the federal government have more power over local elections. This was important for future civil rights decisions.
After losing his re-election bid in 1942, Boggs joined the United States Navy. He served as an ensign for the rest of World War II.
Running for Governor
After the war, Boggs returned to politics. He was elected to Congress again in 1946. He was re-elected 13 more times, even once after he disappeared. In 1951, Boggs decided to run for governor of Louisiana. He was doing well in early polls. However, another candidate, Lucille May Grace, brought up questions about Boggs's past. She claimed he was part of a group called the American Student Union in the 1930s. At the time, this group was thought to be linked to Communists.
Boggs avoided directly answering the questions. Instead, he said Grace and her supporter, Leander Perez, were trying to harm his reputation. Some historians believe Boggs was indeed part of the group. But he tried to hide it because of the strong anti-Communist feelings in the early 1950s.
Boggs finished third in the governor's race in 1952.
Later Elections to Congress
In 1960, a Republican named Elliot Ross Buckley ran against Boggs. Boggs won easily with 78 percent of the votes. From 1962 to 1968, David C. Treen challenged Boggs three times. Treen later became Louisiana's first Republican governor in 1980. In 1968, Treen came very close to winning, getting 48.8 percent of the votes. Boggs won with 51.2 percent.
During his time in Congress, Boggs became very influential. He signed the 1956 Southern Manifesto, which was against ending segregation. He voted against some Civil Rights Acts in 1957, 1960, and 1964. However, he voted for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the Civil Rights Act of 1968. He also played a key role in creating the interstate highway system in 1956.
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Boggs was the youngest member of the Warren Commission. This group investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy from 1963 to 1964. Reports about Boggs's views on the Warren report are mixed. Some say he doubted the "single bullet theory," which suggested one bullet hit both Kennedy and Governor John Connally. But in a 1966 TV appearance, Boggs defended the commission's findings. He stated he believed Lee Harvey Oswald killed Kennedy. He said that all evidence showed Kennedy was shot from behind. He also mentioned that it's "human nature" for many people to prefer believing in a conspiracy.
Boggs served as the House Majority Whip from 1962 to 1971. He then became the Majority Leader in January 1971 until his disappearance. As whip, he helped pass many of President Johnson's "Great Society" laws.
In 1968, Boggs announced the invasion of Czechoslovakia by the Soviet Union during a hearing. This news surprised Secretary of State Dean Rusk, who had to leave immediately. In April 1971, Boggs gave a speech in the House. He strongly criticized Federal Bureau of Investigation Director J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI. This led to a conversation between President Richard M. Nixon and Republican leader Gerald Ford. Nixon said he could no longer trust Boggs as a senior member of Congress.
The Mystery in Alaska
What Happened?
As Majority Leader, Boggs often traveled to support other politicians. On October 16, 1972, he was campaigning for Representative Nick Begich of Alaska. Boggs was on a small, twin-engine plane, a Cessna 310. Also on board were Begich, Begich's aide Russell Brown, and the pilot Don Jonz. They were flying from Anchorage to Juneau for a campaign event.
The plane disappeared during the flight. A large search began, involving the U.S. Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Air Force, and other groups. The search lasted 39 days.
Planes like the Cessna were supposed to carry an emergency locator transmitter. This device sends out a signal if the plane crashes. No signal from the plane was ever heard during the search. The National Transportation Safety Board investigated the incident. They found that the pilot's portable emergency transmitter was in another plane. They concluded that neither the pilot nor the plane had a working emergency locator transmitter.
On November 24, 1972, the search was stopped. The plane's wreckage and the remains of the four men were never found. After a short jury review, Hale Boggs was officially declared dead.
Even though they were missing, Boggs and Begich were re-elected in November. In January 1973, the House of Representatives officially recognized Boggs's presumed death. This allowed for a special election to fill his seat.
In 2019, Boggs's disappearance was mentioned in an episode of the TV show The Blacklist. In 2020, a podcast called Missing in Alaska also investigated his disappearance.
Family Life
In 1938, Hale Boggs married Lindy Claiborne. After his death, Lindy was elected to his former seat in Congress in 1973. She served for many years, until 1991. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Lindy Boggs as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. She served in that role until 2001.
Hale and Lindy Boggs had four children. Their daughter Cokie Roberts became a well-known U.S. TV and radio journalist. Their son Thomas Hale Boggs Jr. became a lawyer and lobbyist in Washington, D.C. Another daughter, Barbara Boggs Sigmund, served as the mayor of Princeton, New Jersey. Their fourth child, William Robertson Boggs, died as an infant.
Hale Boggs was a practicing Roman Catholic.
Remembering Hale Boggs
Several places and structures are named in memory of Hale Boggs:
- The Hale Boggs Memorial Bridge crosses the Mississippi River in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana.
- The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is located at Portage Glacier in Southcentral Alaska.
- Boggs Peak, a mountain near the visitor center, is also named after him.
- The Hale Boggs Federal Complex in New Orleans is named in his honor.
In 1993, Hale Boggs was one of the first politicians to be inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea
- List of United States Congress members who died in office
- List of members of the American Legion
