Henry Braden facts for kids

Henry English Braden, IV, known as Hank Braden (born August 24, 1944 – died July 15, 2013), was an American lawyer and politician. He was a member of the Democratic Party and also worked as a lobbyist. Braden was from New Orleans, Louisiana.

Early Life and Education

Hank Braden was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His parents were Irma and Dr. Henry E. Braden, III. His father was a very important person in the community. He was the first African-American doctor to join the Orleans Parish Medical Society. He was also the first African-American to serve on the boards of New Orleans Charity Hospital and Tulane University.

Hank Braden went to St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. He graduated from there in 1961. In 1965, he earned his first college degree from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York. Later, in 1975, he earned his law degree from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. All three of these schools are Roman Catholic institutions.

Community Work and Public Service

Before becoming a politician, Hank Braden was very active in his community. From 1965 to 1974, he was an executive director for a community help agency in New Orleans. He also worked with the National Urban League in the New Orleans area.

Braden was involved with the Total Community Action Agency. This agency also ran the Central City Health Clinic. These groups helped many people and trained a new generation of African-American politicians. Dorothy Mae Taylor, the first African-American woman to serve in the Louisiana House of Representatives, ran the clinic.

From 1974 to 1975, Braden worked for Mayor Moon Landrieu. He was the city director for manpower and economic development. Moon Landrieu is the father of former U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu.

Political Career

In 1978, Hank Braden won a special election for the Louisiana State Senate. He took over the District 3 seat. The previous senator, Sidney Barthelemy, had left the seat after being elected to the New Orleans City Council. Braden won this election by a very small margin, only fourteen votes. He defeated State Representative Louis J. Charbonnet.

Braden was elected for a full term in the Senate in 1979. However, he lost his seat in the election held on October 22, 1983. Dennis R. Bagneris defeated him. Bagneris received 16,779 votes (54 percent) compared to Braden's 14,322 votes (46 percent). Dennis Bagneris later became a judge for the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal.

While serving as a state senator, Braden was also part of the executive committee for the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C.. After his time in the Senate, he continued to be involved in politics. From 1986 to 1994, he was an advisor to Mayor Sidney Barthelemy. Braden had worked hard to help Barthelemy get elected.

Braden was also active in a political group called COUP. This group was very influential in the Seventh Ward of New Orleans. COUP sometimes disagreed with another political group called LIFE. LIFE was loyal to former Mayor Ernest Morial and his son, Marc Morial, who also became mayor.

In his later years, Hank Braden worked as a lobbyist and consultant. He advised clients in New Orleans and across the state and country.

Later Life and Passing

Hank Braden passed away on July 15, 2013, at the age of sixty-eight. He died from congestive heart failure in a New Orleans hospital. He was survived by his wife, Michele, and their four children: Heidi, Remi, Hal, and Nick. He also had a grandson named Jack Cooper. His daughter, Remi Braden, is the director of public affairs for the New Orleans Police Department.

New Orleans journalist Clancy DuBos spoke highly of Braden, saying, "Hank loved politics and public service and was among the most insightful politicians I have ever covered."