The Big Lie: Hale Boggs, Lucille May Grace, and Leander Perez in 1951

For most voters in Louisiana, the central question of the 1951-52 gubernatorial campaign was a simple one: which candidate would maintain the generous populist government ushered in by the legendary Huey Long? For others, many of whom were convinced that somehow Soviet agents were running amok in Louisiana, communism was the only issue worthy of discussion. Those who were tearful soon found their voice in Leander Perez, longtime boss of Plaquernines Parish and leader of the Southern States Rights movement, who warned Louisianians that a communist takeover was imminent. Hale Boggs -- a civil rights liberal and prominent Washington insider -- was seen as the front runner in the election. Lucille May Grace, the longtime registrar of the state land office and one of the shrewdest politicians in Louisiana history appeared to be his most powerful opponent. With the counsel of Perez, 'Miss Lucille' as she was known throughout the state, turned the 1951-52 race upside down when she sensationally accused Boggs of being a communist. Through interviews with more than forty individuals involved in this historic election, author Carry Boulard blends oral history with long-forgotten material unearthed from more than a dozen archives. The result is an incisive survey of three Louisiana giants and how the 1951-52 elections forever changed their lives.