Lou Gehrig Burnett
Shreveport, LA – Lou Gehrig Burnett, 76, died January 19 after a brief illness. A private service was held Tuesday, January 23.
Burnett, a native of Houma, La., graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1963 and a master’s degree in journalism in 1965 from LSU. Burnett initially enrolled at Nicholls State College, where he became the first sophomore to be named editor of the Nicholls Worth, the college newspaper. After two years at Nicholls, he transferred to LSU, where he served as sports editor, managing editor for two terms and editor of The Daily Reveille.
Following graduation, he was the press secretary for U.S. Rep. F. Edward Hebert of New Orleans until Hebert retired in January 1977. Burnett then became chief-of-staff for U.S. Rep. Jerry Huckaby. He served in this position for the entire 16 years Huckaby was in Congress. For his service on Capitol Hill, Burnett was named to Personalities of the South and Who’s Who in American Politics. Burnett retired from the federal government on Jan. 3, 1993, after 27 years on Capitol Hill.
Burnett moved to Shreveport, where he wrote a column for the Bossier Press-Tribune and 13 other newspapers in north Louisiana. In 1997-98, he was tapped to serve as executive assistant to Shreveport Mayor Robert “Bo”Williams. In 1999, he became the senior political columnist for The Forum News. Burnett also published a political newsletter called the Fax-Net Update.
Burnett served as a political analyst for KTAL-TV, KSLATV and KTBS-TV. He also did special broadcasts for Comcast Cable political shows. He served on the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame Foundation Board, which selects inductees for the Hall of Fame Museum in Winnfield, La., and he also served on the Political Hall of Fame Committee.
Survivors include Huey Burnett, Glenn Burnett, Donald Burnett, Willie Randolph and numerous nieces and nephews.
