History
Oliver Pollock
Irish-born merchant Oliver Pollock helped finance the American Revolution using profits from trading in dry goods, military supplies, and enslaved people.
East Baton Rouge
East Baton Rouge Index
Government, Politics & Law
Oscar Allen
Democrat Oscar Allen served as governor of Louisiana from 1932 to 1936, Huey P. Long's hand-picked successor after Long resigned to serve in the US Senate.
Architecture
Pentagon Barracks
Built in 1819 as a fortification against the Spanish and slave insurrections, today the Pentagon Barracks house a museum, apartments, and the lieutenant governor's office.
Music
Percy Sledge
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Percy Sledge recorded soul music hits in the 1960s, including the iconic “When a Man Loves a Woman.”
Literature
Pinkie Gordon Lane
Celebrated poet and educator Pinkie Gordon Lane was Louisiana’s first Black poet laureate.
Government, Politics & Law
Richard W. Leche
In 1936 Richard Leche won the battle to succeed Huey P. Long as governor of Louisiana and leader of the Long faction.
Government, Politics & Law
Robert Kennon
Louisiana governor Robert Kennon successfully campaigned on a platform of taking a "civics book approach" to government and eliminating corruption.
Literature
Robert Penn Warren
Poet, critic, novelist, and US Poet Laureate Robert Penn Warren is best known for his novel "All The King's Men", inspired by the life and death of Louisiana governor Huey Long.
Government, Politics & Law
Sam Houston Jones
Louisiana Governor Sam Jones promised an honest government following the corruption scandals surrounding the Long administrations.
Music
Slim Harpo
Baton Rouge guitarist, singer, and harmonica player James "Slim Harpo" Moore, one of the last traditional blues musicians to achieve pop success, was an important influence on many 1960s rock bands.
History
Southern University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
Chartered in 1880, Southern University is a Historically Black College and University that today offers more than thirty academic programs.
8.8 c., 8.12 f. Standard Oil
The Standard Oil Company of Louisiana transformed Baton Rouge but found a political opponent in Huey P. Long.
