During high school, Long won a scholarship to Louisiana State University in a debate competition. Long claimed that he became a traveling salesman instead when he realized he couldn’t afford the required books, but it’s believed he didn’t attend because he never graduated high school. Long won a seat on the Louisiana Railroad Commission and used his position to fight monopolies and utility rates, winning favor with working people. In 1922, he became the chairman of the Louisiana Public Service Commission and sued the telephone company for raising rates.Huey Long was a fiery and charismatic Louisiana politician who moved up ... an audacious personality with no inhibitions about offering his opinion. ... He later signed a bill that allowed all police to make arrests without a ... Long initially supported President Franklin D. Roosevelt, but felt threatened by him.
