Elaine S. Edwards

Elaine S. Edwards
United States Senator
from Louisiana
In office
August 1, 1972 – November 13, 1972
Appointed by Edwin Edwards
Preceded by Allen J. Ellender
Succeeded by J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.
Personal details
Born March 8, 1929 (1929-03-08) (age 82)
Marksville, Louisiana
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Edwin Edwards (1949-1989, divorced)
Children Anna Edwards
Victoria Edwards
Stephen Edwards
David Edwards
Religion Roman Catholic

Elaine Schwartzenburg Edwards (born March 8, 1929) is a former interim member of the United States Senate and the first wife of Edwin Washington Edwards, making her a former First Lady of Louisiana.

Edwards was born in Marksville, the seat of Avoyelles Parish, to Errol Schwartzenburg and Myrl Dupuy Schwartzenburg.[1] She married Edwin Edwards in 1949.[2]

On August 1, 1972, Edwin Edwards appointed Elaine to the U.S. Senate after the death of Allen Ellender. Edwin's reasons for appointing his wife included her willingness to resign after a new senator was elected and her agreement with his political philosophy.[3] However, during the 1976 presidential election campaign, Elaine endorsed Gerald Ford[4] over Jimmy Carter, while her husband first endorsed California governor Jerry Brown,[5] and later endorsed Carter after Brown didn't get the nomination.[6][7]

An observer said that Elaine Edwards "wanted the opposite of what Edwin wanted. She hated the fishbowl of politics."[8]

Edwin and Elaine Edwards divorced in 1989 after 40 years of marriage.[9] She is the mother of four children, including Stephen Edwards, who was convicted alongside his father in 2000, stemming from a riverboat casino licensing scheme.[10] The other three children are Anna, Victoria and David.[11]

References

  1. ^ Women in Congress, 1917-2006. Government Printing Office. 2006. pp. 467–469. ISBN 9780160767531. http://books.google.com/books?id=Wz9OB2xLGecC&pg=PA467&dq=errol+elaine+louisiana&hl=en&ei=6_5qTsrdO4XSiALlnOnLDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  2. ^ Women in Congress, 1917-2006. Government Printing Office. 2006. pp. 467–469. ISBN 9780160767531. http://books.google.com/books?id=Wz9OB2xLGecC&pg=PA467&dq=errol+elaine+louisiana&hl=en&ei=6_5qTsrdO4XSiALlnOnLDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  3. ^ "Governor's wife to replace Ellender". The Milwaukee Sentinel. 2 August 1972. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FcwVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bhEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=2444,713945&dq=ellender+edwards&hl=en. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  4. ^ Gerald R. Ford (1977). Public papers of the Presidents of the United States, Gerald R. Ford. Government Printing Office. pp. 2324–2325. http://books.google.com/books?id=BRCTaYzoDlcC&pg=PA2325&dq=elaine+gerald+ford+louisiana&hl=en&ei=yQ1rTrKJLozPiAKQ1pzWBQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false. 
  5. ^ "Carter nomination seems assured; more Dems climb on bandwagon". Eugene Register-Guard. 10 June 1976. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BKxVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K-EDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6794,2343450&dq=edwards+endorse+carter&hl=en. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  6. ^ "Conservatism balances regional pride in South". The Sun. 18 October 1976. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1773106352.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+18%2C+1976&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Conservatism+balances+regional+pride+in+South&pqatl=google. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  7. ^ "Google News Archive search edwards endorse carter ford". http://www.google.com/search?q=edwards+endorse+carter+ford&hl=en&tbs=cdr:1,cd_min:1976,cd_max:1976&tbm=nws&ei=ORFrTuSSKKnhiALtwtCaDg&start=10&sa=N&biw=1440&bih=684. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  8. ^ Leo Honeycutt, Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana, Lisburn Press, 2009, p. 82
  9. ^ Women in Congress, 1917-2006. Government Printing Office. 2006. pp. 467–469. ISBN 9780160767531. http://books.google.com/books?id=Wz9OB2xLGecC&pg=PA467&dq=errol+elaine+louisiana&hl=en&ei=6_5qTsrdO4XSiALlnOnLDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=4&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  10. ^ "Edwards convicted". Gadsen Times. 8 May 2000. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=37kfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=39cEAAAAIBAJ&pg=1575,835662&dq=stephen+louisiana&hl=en. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
  11. ^ The Biographical encyclopedia of the United States, Volume 2. Allied Publishers. 1968. p. 370. http://books.google.com/books?ei=ugxrTp-dGtPTiALlveigDg&ct=result&id=36tBAAAAIAAJ&dq=%22anna+laure%22+louisiana&q=%22anna+laure%22+. Retrieved 9 September 2011. 
United States Senate
Preceded by
Allen J. Ellender		 United States Senator (Class 3) from Louisiana
1972
Served alongside: Russell B. Long		 Succeeded by
J. Bennett Johnston, Jr.
Class 2

Destréhan · Posey · Brown · Claiborne · Johnson · Bouligny · Livingston · Waggaman · Nicholas · Barrow · Soulé · Downs · Benjamin · Harris · West · Kellogg · Gibson · Caffery · Foster · Ransdell · H. Long · R.M. Long · Ellender · Edwards · J.B. Johnston · Landrieu
Class 3

Magruder · Fromentin · Brown · J.S. Johnston · Porter · Mouton · Conrad · Johnson · Soulé · Slidell · Kellogg · Eustis · Jonas · Eustis · White · Blanchard · McEnery · Thornton · R. Broussard · Guion · Gay · E. Broussard · Overton · Feazel · R.B. Long · Breaux · Vitter