What's being said...
About Joe and The Waggonner Center
“It seems all too often that the important work of public service takes a back seat to ‘partisan gains.’ Joe would work against this to bring the sides together to solve the problem. A Center sharing his legacy to that end would serve our democracy better than any improvement I could think of to our political system.”
Henson Moore (R) | U.S. House of Representatives, 1975-1987
“I have no doubt that the Country would be vastly improved if we could return to the policy-orientation, the politics, and the style of Joe D. Waggonner, Jr.”
J. Bennett Johnston (D) | U. S. Senate, 1972-1997
“Joe’s presence in Congress helped produce the kind of government that we could all be proud of. If this Center can help produce another Joe Waggonner, it will have served our nation very well.”
John Breaux (D) | U. S. Senate, 1987-2005
“Joe Waggonner was a true gentleman, loyal friend, and honest public servant. Joe wisely recognized that he had a natural ability to encourage compromise and consensus among members of his party and those on the other side of the aisle. And he did so regularly because it was in the best interest of our great nation. Joe Waggonner was a supreme vote counter and had a grasp of the issues both foreign and domestic unlike any other man I have ever known. He was a confidant and advisor to many Presidents and national political leaders, regardless of party affiliation. I am fortunate to have witnessed this great master of the political process at work, up close and personal, and even more fortunate to have been mentored by this extraordinary man. If the Joe D. Waggonner Center for Bipartisan Politics and Public Policy is able to teach as Joe lived and served, the people’s confidence in government and politicians will be truly restored. I salute Louisiana Tech University for the establishment of this great center in the name of this grand American.”
Tom Loeffler (R) | Special Assistant to President Gerald Ford for Legislative Affairs and U. S. House of Representatives from Texas, 1979-1987
“…Joe was one of the most respected southern conservative Democrats. From that position he was able to work to form compromise and consensus, the art of politics. His penchant for bipartisan collaboration earned him respect on both sides of the aisle.”
Jerry Huckaby (D) | U. S. House of Representatives, 1976-1992
