Ralph Norman Bauer, sometimes known as R. Norman Bauer (May 1899 - March 13, 1963), was a

lawyer A lawyer is a person who is qualified to offer advice about the law, draft legal documents, or represent individuals in legal matters. The exact nature of a lawyer's work varies depending on the legal jurisdiction and the legal system, as w ...

from Franklin in St. Mary Parish,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928 to 1936 and again from 1940 to 1948. During his last two terms, Bauer was the Speaker of the chamber, having served in that capacity under the administrations of

Governors A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

Sam Houston Jones and Jimmie Davis.

Biography

Bauer was born in Patterson in St. Mary Parish to Theodore Bauer (1867-1919) and the former Ernestine Norman (1868-1944). He married the former Margaret Wooster, who was also a lawyer, and the couple adopted her distant cousin, Carl Packard Wiegmann, then twelve years of age. They renamed him Carl Wiegmann Bauer. From 1966 to 1976, Carl Bauer served in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from St. Mary Parish. A lawyer and businessman, Carl Bauer spent his later years as chief lobbyist for the

University of Louisiana at Lafayette The University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette, University of Louisiana, ULL, or UL) is a Public university, public research university in Lafayette, Louisiana, United States. It has the largest enrollment within the nine-campus Universi ...

. Bauer was in law practice with his brother Theodore Bauer and near the end of his career with his son, Carl, as well. Norman Bauer Drive in Franklin, Louisiana, is named in his honor.

Political career

In the 1929 legislative session, freshman lawmakers Bauer and Cecil Morgan of Shreveport and second-term member Mason Spencer of Madison Parish, formed what was known as the "Dynamite Squad" to impeach Governor Huey Pierce Long, Jr., for a long list of abuses of power. Key Long supporters, including John Baptiste Fournet, Allen J. Ellender, and Lorris M. Wimberly in the House, and a phalanx of defenders in the Louisiana State Senate prevented conviction and removal from office.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bauer, Ralph Norman 1899 births 1963 deaths People from Franklin, Louisiana Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Louisiana lawyers Huey Long People from Patterson, Louisiana 20th-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature