{{Short description|American politician (1929–2018)}} {{other uses}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = Elaine Edwards |image = Elaine Edwards (D-LA).jpg |office = First Lady of Louisiana |term_label = In role |term_start = March 12, 1984 |term_end = March 14, 1988 |predecessor = Dolores Treen |successor = Patti Crocker Roemer |term_start1 = May 9, 1972 |term_end1 = March 10, 1980 |term_label1 = In role |predecessor1 = Marjorie McKeithen |successor1 = Dolores Treen |jr/sr2 = United States Senator |state2 = [[Louisiana]] |appointer2 = [[Edwin Edwards]] |term_start2 = August 1, 1972 |term_end2 = November 13, 1972 |predecessor2 = [[Allen J. Ellender]] |successor2 = [[J. Bennett Johnston]] |birth_name = Elaine Lucille Schwartzenburg |birth_date = {{birth date|1929|3|8}} |birth_place = [[Marksville, Louisiana]], U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2018|5|14|1929|3|8}} |death_place = [[Denham Springs, Louisiana]], U.S. |resting_place=Resthaven Gardens of Memory and Mausoleum <br/> [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana]], U.S. |party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] |spouse = {{marriage|[[Edwin Edwards]]|1949|1989|end=div}} |children = 4 }} '''Elaine Lucille Edwards''' (née '''Schwartzenburg'''; March 8, 1929 – May 14, 2018) was an American politician from [[Louisiana]]. Edwards was a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] member of the [[United States Senate]] in 1972 appointed by her husband, Louisiana Governor [[Edwin Edwards]], following the death of [[Allen J. Ellender]].
She was the First Lady of Louisiana for twelve non-consecutive years from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1988, making her the state's longest-serving First Lady. In her later years, she was a small fashion businesswoman and a low-profile soap opera actress based in [[New York City]].
==Early life== Edwards was born in [[Marksville, Louisiana|Marksville]], the seat of [[Avoyelles Parish]], to Errol Leo Schwartzenburg<ref>{{cite web|url=http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/avoyelles/obits/schwarel.txt|title=Alexandria Daily Town Talk, July 17, 1999|date=July 17, 1999|work=USGenWarchives.net|access-date=January 7, 2012}}</ref> and Myrl Dupuy Schwartzenburg.<ref name="Wasniewski">{{cite book|title=Women in Congress, 1917-2006|editor=Matthew Andrew Wasniewski |year=2006|publisher=Government Printing Office|isbn=978-0-16-076753-1|pages=[https://archive.org/details/womenincongress100wasn/page/467 467]–469|url=https://archive.org/details/womenincongress100wasn |access-date=September 9, 2011}}</ref> Elaine was baptized Catholic,<ref name=GoodTimes>{{cite news |title=Good times sour for La.'s Edwards |author=Hugh A. Mulligan |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B7NOAAAAIBAJ&pg=1257,3714730&dq=errol+schwartzenburg&hl=en |work=Lakeland Ledger |access-date=July 12, 2013}} (continued at page 8A as "La.'s tough times tough on Edwards") </ref><ref name=KPLCTV>{{cite web |url=http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=980302&nav=0nqxBuZD |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113256/http://www.kplctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=980302&nav=0nqxBuZD |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |title=Edwin Edwards Timeline |website=kplctv.com |publisher=KPLC 7 News |access-date=July 12, 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C1d5AAAAMAAJ&q=%22conversion+to+catholicism%22+elaine |title=Coozan Dudley LeBlanc: from Huey Long to Hadacol |access-date=July 12, 2013|last1=Clay |first1=Floyd Martin |year=1973 |publisher=Pelican Publishing Company |isbn=978-0-88289-646-5 }}</ref> and had two brothers, Frank (1928–2013),<ref>{{cite news|title=Frank Charles Schwartzenburg Sr., age 84 of Marshalltown, Iowa, native of Marksville|url=http://www.avoyellestoday.com/view/full_story/21521866/article-Frank-Charles-Schwartzenburg--Sr--age-84-of-Marshalltown--Iowa--native-of-Marksville|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130628172342/http://www.avoyellestoday.com/view/full_story/21521866/article-Frank-Charles-Schwartzenburg--Sr--age-84-of-Marshalltown--Iowa--native-of-Marksville|archive-date=June 28, 2013|newspaper=Avoyellestoday.com|date=January 31, 2013|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> and Ralph (born 1936).<ref>{{cite news|title=Ex-governor tops list of colorful parish politicians|author=Philip Timothy|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20070318/COMMUNITIES/703160358/Ex-governor-tops-list-colorful-parish-politicians|newspaper=thetowntalk.com|date=March 16, 2007|access-date=June 1, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120915072359/http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20070318/COMMUNITIES/703160358/Ex-governor-tops-list-colorful-parish-politicians|archive-date=September 15, 2012}}</ref>
She married [[Edwin Edwards]] in 1949.<ref name="Wasniewski" /> Her own Catholic belief was the impetus for Edwin's reversion to the Catholic faith.<ref name=GoodTimes /><ref name=KPLCTV /> An observer noted that Elaine Edwards "wanted the opposite of what Edwin wanted. She hated the fishbowl of politics."<ref>Leo Honeycutt, ''Edwin Edwards: Governor of Louisiana'', Lisburn Press, 2009, pg. 82<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref> Both graduated from [[Marksville High School]].<ref name="TAO">{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/article_afea9256-579a-11e8-a8f7-bf13ceaabca2.html|title=Former Louisiana first lady Elaine Edwards dies; Edwin Edwards: 'She was a great asset'|date=14 May 2018 |publisher=The Advocate|access-date=May 14, 2018}}</ref> Discussing her marriage in 1984, Edwards said: "All I wanted to do was get married and have babies and keep house."<ref name="TAO"/>
==Senate career== Edwards was the First Lady of Louisiana for twelve non-consecutive years from 1972 to 1980 and again from 1984 to 1988, making her the state's longest-serving First Lady. She did not live full-time at the Governor's mansion during her husband's third term, instead spending most of her time at the family's compound in southeastern Baton Rouge which they purchased during the term of Edwin's successor/predecessor, [[David C. Treen]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wbrz.com/news/former-la-first-lady-elaine-edwards-dead-at-89/|title=Former LA first lady Elaine Edwards dead at 89|publisher=WBRZ|date=May 14, 2018|access-date=May 16, 2018}}</ref>
On August 1, 1972, after the death of [[Allen Ellender]], Edwin Edwards appointed Elaine to the U.S. Senate to serve the remaining few months of Ellender's term.<ref name=FLL/>
In reaction to her Senate appointment, Edwards said: "This is a marvelous opportunity, and I accept it. But let's have no misgivings. I'm not a United States senator". Edwards did not seek election in November 1972.<ref name="TAO"/> She resigned immediately upon certification of [[J. Bennett Johnston]] (whom her husband had defeated in the Democratic primary in the [[Louisiana gubernatorial election, 1971-72|previous year's election for Governor]]) as the winner of the [[United States Senate elections, 1972|November 7, 1972]] general election (in which Ellender had been a candidate until his death), allowing Johnston to gain seniority over other new senators elected on the same date.
During the [[U.S. presidential election, 1976|1976 presidential election]] campaign, Elaine endorsed [[Gerald Ford]]<ref>{{cite book|title=Public papers of the Presidents of the United States, Gerald R. Ford|author=Gerald R. Ford|year=1977 |publisher=Government Printing Office|pages=2324–25|isbn=978-0-16-058870-9 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BRCTaYzoDlcC&q=elaine+gerald+ford+louisiana&pg=PA2325}}</ref> over [[Jimmy Carter]], while her husband first endorsed California governor [[Jerry Brown]],<ref>{{cite news|title=Carter nomination seems assured; more Dems climb on bandwagon|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BKxVAAAAIBAJ&pg=6794,2343450&dq=edwards+endorse+carter&hl=en|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|date=June 10, 1976|access-date=September 9, 2011}}</ref> and later endorsed Carter after Brown failed to obtain the nomination.<ref>{{cite news|title=Conservatism balances regional pride in South|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1773106352.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+18%2C+1976&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Conservatism+balances+regional+pride+in+South&pqatl=google|newspaper=The Sun|date=October 18, 1976|access-date=September 9, 2011|archive-date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107230112/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/baltsun/access/1773106352.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Oct+18,+1976&author=&pub=The+Sun+(1837-1985)&desc=Conservatism+balances+regional+pride+in+South&pqatl=google|url-status=dead}}</ref>
In 1983, Edwin Edwards was re-elected as Governor thus making Elaine first lady again this time serving until 1988.<ref name="TAO"/>
==Post-political career== After her senate tenure, Edwards owned a small business producing custom-made dresses and would continue this business even while serving as first lady during her husband's third term in the 1980s.<ref name="TAO"/>
She moved to [[New York City]] in the 1990s to find occasional work as a soap opera actress.<ref name="TAO"/>
==Personal life and death== Edwin and Elaine Edwards [[divorce]]d in 1989 after forty years of marriage.<ref name="Wasniewski" /> The couple had four children, two daughters and two sons.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Biographical encyclopedia of the United States, Volume 2|year=1968|publisher=Allied Publishers|page=370|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=36tBAAAAIAAJ&q=%22anna+laure%22+|access-date=September 9, 2011}}</ref>
Elaine Edwards died on May 14, 2018, at her daughter's home in [[Denham Springs, Louisiana]], while suffering from respiratory problems.<ref name=FLL>[http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/05/elaine_edwards_louisianas_form.html Elaine Edwards. Louisiana former first lady, dies at 89] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180515112358/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2018/05/elaine_edwards_louisianas_form.html |date=2018-05-15 }}, nola.com; accessed May 14, 2018.</ref> Edwards was buried at Resthaven Gardens of Memory, Baton Rouge, East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.
==See also== * [[Women in the United States Senate]]
==References== {{reflist|2}}
==External links== {{CongBio|E000068}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-sen}} {{s-bef|before=[[Allen J. Ellender]]}} {{s-ttl|title=[[List of United States senators from Louisiana|United States Senator (Class 3) from Louisiana]]|years=1972|alongside=[[Russell B. Long]]}} {{s-aft|after=[[J. Bennett Johnston]]}} {{s-end}}
{{USSenLA}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Edwards, Elaine S.}} [[Category:1929 births]] [[Category:2018 deaths]] [[Category:Actresses from Louisiana]] [[Category:Democratic Party United States senators from Louisiana]] [[Category:Female United States senators]] [[Category:First ladies and gentlemen of Louisiana]] [[Category:Louisiana Democrats]] [[Category:Marksville High School alumni]] [[Category:People from Marksville, Louisiana]] [[Category:Women in Louisiana politics]] [[Category:Catholics from Louisiana]] [[Category:21st-century American women]] [[Category:20th-century United States senators]] [[Category:20th-century American women politicians]]