Sixty Rayburn

Who was Sixty Rayburn?

Benjamin Burras Rayburn, Sr., known as B. B. "Sixty" Rayburn, was a veteran politician from Bogalusa, an incorporated city in Washington Parish in southeastern Louisiana in the United States. He was a firm supporter of the region's public hospitals, highways, and its indigenous Southeastern Louisiana University.

He served as a populist Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature from 1948 to 1996. Rayburn's political roots were imbedded in the administrations of Governor Earl Kemp Long, but he was also friendly with later chief executives John J. McKeithen and Edwin Washington Edwards. Even his loud and raspy voice was often compared to that of Earl Long. Rayburn survived generations of social and political change in his adopted home state, including the collapse of legal segregation as well as the rise of women and Republicans to positions of authority. A raconteur, Rayburn entertained many with his lively reminiscences of the historic Long era. Rayburn was allied with organized labor and claimed to vote on a bill according to how the legislation in question would impact the "little man." Because of his longevity and power, Rayburn was known for years as the unofficial "Dean of the Louisiana Senate".