Edwin Edwards was one of the most wretched individuals to ever hold political office

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Before the Board meeting, Wharton and Board member Sheldon Beychok met with Governor-elect Edwin Edwards to apprise him of my pending recommendation. Not knowing how adverse public reaction might be, they wanted Edwards kept up to date and, hopefully, in the right corner. Edwards, however, wanted firsthand information, and he summoned me to a meeting in his office.

Edwards' icy blue eyes scared me almost as much as his proclamation, minutes after Wharton, Beychok, and I arrived, that Stovall and I should both be fired and combination Coach/Athletic Director be brought in.

Wondering if I'd just been axed, I offered my arguments against such a move, telling Edwards that, in my opinion, intercollegiate sports had become big business and, as such, should be run by businessmen, not football coaches. He must have seen the logic in my remarks, because at the close of the meeting, he told me to do what I thought was best, and he promised not to interfere. It was a promise he would keep throughout my tenure at LSU. ...

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