William Clark Hughes

William Clark Hughes (January 31, 1868 – August 29, 1930) was an American Democrat who served from 1926 to 1928 as the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. He represented Bossier Parish in the lower house of the legislature from 1904 until his accidental death in 1930.[1]

William Clark Hughes
The 19th century Hughes boyhood home in Rocky Mount was moved in 1995 to Benton Square in Benton, Louisiana.
Louisiana State Representative from Bossier Parish
In office 1904–1930
Preceded by	At-large members: J. T. Manry L. T. Sanders
Succeeded by	J. E. Walker
Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives
In office 1926–1928
Preceded by	James Stuart Douglas
Succeeded by	John B. Fournet
Personal details
Born	(1868-01-31)January 31, 1868 Rocky Mount, Bossier Parish, Fifth Military District, USA
Died	August 29, 1930(1930-08-29) (aged 62) Kingston Plantation Bossier Parish
Cause of death	Lightning
Resting place	Rocky Mount Cemetery in Bossier Parish
Nationality	American
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	(1) Lula Dubois Holt (died 1899) (2) Annie Oliver (married 1904-1930, his death)
Children	From first marriage: Mary Virginia Hughes Martha "Mattie" L. Hughes Dowdell Margery Hughes O'Kelley From second marriage: Annie Hughes Hale Tucker
Occupation	Farmer

Hughes was born in the Rocky Mount community of Bossier Parish[2] to William Josiah Hughes (1837-1921), a captain in the Confederate Army, and the former Mary Ann Clark (1843-1923). His home in Rocky Mount remained in the family until 1972, when it was donated to the Bossier Restoration Foundation.[3] In 1995, the house was relocated to Benton, the seat of Bossier Parish government. There the Hughes House sets in Benton Square near the Bossier Parish School Board office.[4]

Hughes and his first wife, Lula Dubois Hughes (1869-1899), had three daughters: Mary Virginia (born and died 1894), Martha "Mattie" L. Hughes Dowdell (1895-1970), and Margery Hughes O'Kelley (1896-1973). Hughes later married Annie Oliver, who was born 1882 in Giles County, Tennessee. They had one daughter, Annie Elizabeth Hughes Hale Tucker, who was born in 1906 in Shreveport, Louisiana.[5]

Hughes' legislative service traversed the administrations of seven governors from Newton C. Blanchard to Huey Pierce Long, Jr. He was Speaker of the House under Long's short-term predecessor, Oramel H. Simpson; in Louisiana despite the presumed separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches, the governor handpicks the Speaker. Long chose his lieutenant, John B. Fournet, a freshman member from Jeff Davis Parish in southwestern Louisiana, who later became the long-term Chief Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.[6]

Hughes operated the Kingston Plantation in the Bossier Parish community known as Hughes Spur, presumably named for Hughes' father.[2] In 1930, at the age of sixty-two and still serving in the legislature, he was struck dead by touching a metal cistern which had been electrically charged in a lightning storm. He had intended to use the cistern to fight a lightning-induced fire on his farm.[7]

Hughes is interred at the Rocky Mount Cemetery.[8]