Coozan Dudley LeBlanc: From Huey Long to Hadacol - Paperback

by Floyd Clay (Author)

"They were great days. [This] book brings them back to life."-Kansas City Times

"Floyd Clay has written perceptively of LeBlanc."-Associated Press

He was the most extraordinary politician, businessman, medicine man, and promoter imaginable. Coozan Dudley LeBlanc traces the life of this amazing Cajun entrepreneur who almost single-handedly revolutionized American product advertising. He spent millions to promote Hadacol, his alcohol-saturated, vitamin-mineral patent medicine.

With heavy advertising, contests, and the Hadacol Caravan-a traveling road show featuring a dazzling cast of Hollywood stars, beauty queens, and circus antics-LeBlanc parlayed his elixir into an amazing overnight success. America had never seen anything like it.

But before the 1950s Hadacol phenomenon, LeBlanc had made his mark in the hurly-burly politics of his native Louisiana. As a state legislator, he had championed a steady stream of legislation to increase benefits to the poor and aged. Bold, flashy, and determined, he frequently clashed with the Louisiana Kingfish, Huey Long, in a power struggle that ended only with Long's assassination.

Back Jacket

He was the most extraordinary politician, businessman, medicine man, and promoter imaginable. Coozan Dudley LeBlanc traces the life of this singular Cajun entrepreneur who, almost singlehandedly, revolutionized American product advertising. He spent millions to promote Hadacol, his alcohol-saturated, vitamin-mineral patent medicine.

With heavy advertising, contests, and the Hadacol caravan-- a traveling road show featuring a dazzling cast of Hollywood stars, beauty queens, and circus antics-- LeBlanc parlayed his elixir into an amazing overnight success. America had never seen anything like it.

But before the 1950s Hadacol phenomenon, LeBlanc had made his mark in the hurly-burly politics of his native Louisiana. As a state legislator, he had championed a steady stream of legislation to increase benefits to the poor and aged. Bold, flashy, and determined, he frequently clashed with the Louisiana Kingfish, Huey Long, in a power struggle that ended only with Long's assassination.

Author Biography

Floyd Martin Clay conducted a considerable amount of research to produce his biography of Dudley J. LeBlanc. The resulting book, Coozan Dudley LeBlanc, chronicles the life of this remarkable Cajun entrepreneur who almost single-handedly revolutionized American product advertising. Mr. Clay initiated the book while LeBlanc was still alive and active, and this enabled him to produce an accurate and incisive biography. According to former governor Edwin Edwards,