Rufus D. Hayes

Who was Rufus D. Hayes?

Rufus D. Hayes was an attorney, judge, and businessman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who served as his state’s insurance commissioner from 1957-1964. He was also a former district attorney in East Baton Rouge Parish and in 1958 the Louisiana Democratic state chairman. He was a delegate to the 1956 and 1960 Democratic National Conventions held in Chicago, Illinois, and Los Angeles, California, respectively.

Hayes graduated from Southern Baptist-affiliated Louisiana College in Pineville. He received his law degree from Louisiana State University Law Center. During World War II he fought in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Hayes was appointed insurance commissioner by Governor Earl Kemp Long after Long convinced the legislature to remove the insurance duties from the domain of Secretary of State Wade O. Martin, Jr., with whom Long had quarreled. Hayes won a term of his own in the Democratic runoff election, held on January 9, 1960, having defeated Paul C. Tate of Mamou in Evangeline Parish, the choice of gubernatorial candidate Bill Dodd. Hayes ran on the Jimmie Davis ticket, all of whose members prevailed in the runoff election. After the elimination of Bill Dodd in the gubernatorial primary, Tate ran on the intraparty ticket of DeLesseps Story Morrison, who was defeated by Davis. Thereafter, Hayes was the only statewide Democratic nominee unopposed in the general election held on April 19, 1960.²