Jonah Patel
On October 16, 1972, Thomas Hale Boggs Sr.'s plane disappeared over Alaska, leaving his seat in the House of Representatives vacant. Hale's wife, Lindy Boggs, was urged to run for his seat, given her decades of experience as his political adviser, strategist, and surrogate campaigner. In 1973, Lindy successfully succeeded her husband as a Democrat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, in New Orleans, and went on to serve in the House for 18 years, advocating for women's equality and economic opportunity for minorities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Hale Boggs' death | October 16, 1972 |
| Circumstances of death | Plane crash |
| Date of Lindy Boggs' election | March 20, 1973 |
| Type of election | Special election |
| Position taken over | Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, in New Orleans |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Number of terms served | 8 succeeding Congresses |
| Dates in office | March 20, 1973 – January 3, 1991 |
| Previous experience | Political confidante, strategist, surrogate campaigner, political adviser, social coordinator |
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What You'll Learn
Hale Boggs's plane crash in Alaska
On October 16, 1972, Thomas Hale Boggs Sr., an American Democratic Party politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives, was on a fundraising drive in Alaska. He was aboard a twin-engine Cessna 310 plane with Representative Nick Begich, Begich's aide Russell Brown, and pilot Don Jonz. The aircraft was en route from Anchorage to Juneau when it disappeared in foul weather. Despite a massive search-and-rescue operation, the largest up to that point in U.S. history, the plane was never found. Boggs was declared dead on December 29, 1972.
The disappearance of Boggs and the others has remained an enduring mystery. Most people believe the plane crashed due to bad weather, but conspiracy theories have arisen because Boggs had served on the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of John F. Kennedy. One theory suggests that the plane may have been "intentionally brought down," as Jerry Max Pasley, a man with alleged "mafia ties," told investigators.
Following her husband's death, Lindy Boggs ran successfully as a Democrat for her husband's vacated seat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in New Orleans. She was elected to a full term in 1974 with 82% of the vote and was re-elected seven times, serving until January 1991. She became Louisiana's first woman to serve in Congress and was the first woman to preside over a national political convention, the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
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Lindy Boggs's political experience
Corinne "Lindy" Boggs was more than just the wife of politician Hale Boggs. She was his chief political adviser and strategist, and she played a critical role in his political career. She set up her husband's district office in New Orleans, orchestrated his re-election campaigns, canvassed voters, and arranged social gatherings. She was also a surrogate campaigner for her husband, allowing him to focus on meeting people and building connections.
Lindy Boggs was born in 1916 and grew up on a cotton plantation in rural Louisiana. She was privately tutored and later attended Newcomb College of Tulane University in New Orleans, where she studied history and literature. She met her future husband, Hale Boggs, while working as editors for the school newspaper. They married in 1938, and Boggs focused on supporting her husband's political career and raising their children.
After her husband's death in a plane crash in 1972, Lindy Boggs ran successfully as a Democrat for her husband's vacated seat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in New Orleans. She was the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives. She was elected to a full term in 1974 with 82% of the vote and was re-elected seven times, serving until 1991. During her time in Congress, she advocated for women's equality, economic opportunity for minorities, and the preservation of House heritage. She was also responsible for the protections guaranteed under the Equal Credit Act of 1974 and was the first woman to preside over a national political convention, the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed Lindy Boggs as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, a position she held until 2001. She was also awarded the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame in 1991 and inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in 1994. Boggs died of natural causes in 2013 at the age of 97.
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Her election in 1973
On October 16, 1972, Thomas Hale Boggs Sr.'s plane disappeared over Alaska. Hale Boggs was an influential American Democratic Party politician and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Orleans, Louisiana. Boggs was also the House Majority Leader and a member of the Warren Commission.
After Hale Boggs' disappearance, his wife, Lindy, declared her candidacy for the special election to succeed her husband. Lindy had been her husband's political confidante, strategist, and surrogate campaigner for three decades. She had also been a schoolteacher and an advocate for her husband's political career.
Lindy Boggs easily defeated her nearest competitor in the Democratic primary, polling nearly four times as many votes. She received strong support from her late husband's colleagues, with Armed Services Chairman Felix Edward Hébert of Louisiana saying, "She's the only widow I know who is really qualified—damn qualified—to take over."
Lindy Boggs won the special election as a Democrat in 1973, representing Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in New Orleans. She was the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives. She was elected to a full term in 1974 with 82% of the vote and was re-elected seven times, serving in the House for 18 years until she vacated her office in January 1991. During her time in Congress, she advocated for women's equality, economic opportunity for minorities, and the preservation of House heritage.
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Her advocacy for women's equality
After Hale Boggs died in a plane crash in 1972, his widow, Lindy Boggs, took over his seat in the House of Representatives. She was an advocate for women's equality and worked to advance women's causes in the workplace, education, and credit. She was instrumental in the creation of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act of 1974, which ensured that women could access loans and credit cards at the same interest rates as men.
Lindy Boggs was born on a sugar plantation in Louisiana and moved to Washington, D.C., in 1941 after her husband, Hale Boggs, was elected to Congress. She served as his political confidante and campaign surrogate during his tenure in the House of Representatives. When Hale Boggs died, Lindy Boggs successfully ran as a Democrat for his vacated seat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district in New Orleans. She was the first woman to preside over a national political convention, the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Lindy Boggs worked to advance women's equality in various areas. She pushed for equal pay for government jobs and access to government business contracts, helping American women achieve new economic independence. She was also an advocate for minority rights and worked to curb discrimination against minorities during her time in Congress.
In addition to her work in the House of Representatives, Lindy Boggs was appointed as the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See by President Bill Clinton in 1997. She served in this position until 2001. Throughout her career, Boggs received numerous awards and recognitions for her contributions, including the Congressional Distinguished Service Award in 2006. She passed away in 2013 at the age of 97.
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Her time in Congress
On October 16, 1972, Representative Hale Boggs' plane disappeared over Alaska. Boggs was helping a colleague, Nicholas Begich, campaign for reelection. Following this incident, Boggs' wife, Lindy Boggs, ran successfully as a Democrat for her husband's vacated seat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, in New Orleans.
Lindy Boggs was elected to the 93rd Congress in 1973, by special election, to the second district seat left vacant by her husband's death. She was then reelected to the eight succeeding Congresses (March 20, 1973 – January 3, 1991) and retired after the 1990 election. During her time in Congress, she promoted women's issues, worked to preserve institutional history, and diligently represented the constituents of her Louisiana district, which included large portions of New Orleans. She was an advocate for women's equality, economic opportunity for minorities, and the preservation of House heritage. She was also the first woman to preside over a national political convention, specifically the 1976 Democratic National Convention.
In 1991, she was awarded the Laetare Medal by the University of Notre Dame, the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics. In 1994, Boggs was inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame in Winnfield, and in 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, in which capacity she served until 2001.
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Frequently asked questions
Hale Boggs' plane disappeared over Alaska on October 16, 1972. He was declared dead on December 29, 1972.
Lindy Boggs had been her husband's political confidante, strategist, and surrogate campaigner for three decades. She possessed more political acumen than any other possible challenger. She ran successfully as a Democrat for her husband's vacated seat in Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, in New Orleans.
Lindy Boggs was the first woman to represent Louisiana in the House of Representatives. She served as a Congresswoman for 18 years, during which she became the first woman to preside over a majority party convention and was responsible for protections guaranteed under the Equal Credit Act of 1974. She was also the first woman elected to Congress from the Pelican State, the first woman to chair a major political party's national convention, and the first to serve as ambassador to the Vatican.
Lindy Boggs was born in 1916 and raised in rural Louisiana on a cotton plantation. She was privately tutored in subjects such as literature, geography, and history. She attended Newcomb Memorial College as a history and literature major and worked as a schoolteacher before marrying her college sweetheart, Hale Boggs.
