BATON ROUGE - WBRZ's 70 for 70 will profile some of the personalities who have been on Channel 2's air since it began broadcasting 70 years ago.

This week on 70 for 70, the most colorful and influential governor since Huey P. Long: Edwin Edwards, a man who dominated Louisiana politics for more than three decades. 

Edwards originally planned to become a preacher, but his life would take a different path. Born on August 7, 1927, near Marksville, he was the son of a sharecropper. He studied law and eventually got into politics, being elected to his city council and then the State Senate. 

He went on to serve in Congress from 1965 to 1972. After his stint in the federal government, he was elected to be the governor of Louisiana in 1972, going on to serve four terms—the only governor to do so. In his fourth term, he won over former Ku Klux Klan member David Duke. 

His career was also followed by rumors of scandal and corruption. In 1985, he faced trial for alleged corruption, charged with mail fraud, obstruction of justice and bribery. He was acquitted, but in 1998, law enforcement caught and convicted him of 17 counts of racketeering, wire fraud, mail fraud and extortion. 

In October of 2002, Edwards went to prison in Texas. He spent eight-and-a-half years in jail. After his release, he traveled the state, reconnecting with friends and supporters. 

Edwards passed away in July of 2021. He's remembered as the sharecropper's son who rose to be one of the most influential Louisiana politicians of the last century. 

You can find the full 70 for 70 list here.