Mitch Landrieu: “I rise today in sadness to pay tribute to a man who served the State of Louisiana well for over 22 years, our late…”

“I rise today in sadness to pay tribute to a man who served the State of Louisiana well for over 22 years, our late Secretary of State Fox McKeithen, who passed away over the weekend at his home, lovingly surrounded by friends, family, and admirers. Walter Fox McKeithen was born on September 8, 1946. He was a young man when he died this weekend. He was the second of six children in a small northern town of Louisiana called Columbia. He was the son of a very well-respected governor whom we fondly called ``Big John'' McKeithen. He served in the 1960s and is accredited with leading our State of Louisiana at a very tough and tumultuous time in a very progressive and positive direction. Fox McKeithen, the oldest child, took after his father's political skills from an early age. He demonstrated those leadership skills as senior class president at Caldwell Parish High School, and after graduating from Louisiana Tech, he worked as a high school civics teacher and coach. With his desire to serve the people of Louisiana in a greater role, he was elected to the House of Representatives in 1983. I had the distinct pleasure of working with Fox as a State representative. He went on then to run statewide and was elected Secretary of State. I went on at that same time as State treasurer, and we continued our strong partnership and relationship.…”