Baton Rouge

In the Capitol Gardens of the Louisiana State Capitol stands a 35-foot sculpture of former Louisiana governor and United States Senator Huey Pierce Long. The monument to "Louisiana's greatest son" (inscribed on the back of the base) was created by Charles Keck. The inscription also states that Long was "an unconquered friend of the poor who dreamed of the day when the wealth of the land would be spread among all the people." Long had the idea of the State Capitol building, which at its construction was the tallest building in the southern United States. That building is shown in the white marble base, and the sculpture faces it. Despite his popularity as a champion of the poor, he was a highly controversial political figure and was assassinated in 1935.