William Jefferson (politician)
A Louisiana congressman who broke a racial barrier but saw his legacy defined by a federal corruption investigation and a freezer full of cash.
Born 1947 (age 79)·American politician·Birthday: March 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
William Jefferson's political story is one of historic ascent and dramatic, scandal-plagued collapse. Elected in 1990, he became Louisiana's first African American congressman since Reconstruction, representing a New Orleans-based district for nine terms. He cultivated an image as a champion for economic development, particularly for Africa, and secured a seat on the powerful Ways and Means Committee. However, his career unraveled in 2005 when the FBI raided his homes and found $90,000 in marked bills stored in his freezer. The investigation revealed a complex bribery scheme centered on business deals in West Africa. Convicted on multiple counts of corruption in 2009, he served over five years in federal prison. His case remains a stark chapter in American political history, a tale of broken potential and the legal consequences of graft.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
William was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When William Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
William's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Elected as the first African American U.S. Representative from Louisiana since the 1870s.
- Served nine consecutive terms in the House of Representatives from Louisiana's 2nd district.
- Was a founding member and former co-chair of the Congressional Africa Trade and Investment Caucus.
- Served on the influential House Ways and Means Committee during his tenure.
Did You Know?
The $90,000 found in his freezer was part of an FBI sting, with $100,000 of the total provided by an informant.
His conviction was the first for a U.S. official on charges of violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
He earned a law degree from Harvard Law School.
After his release from prison, he attempted a political comeback but was unsuccessful.
“We must focus on the economic development of the Gulf Coast region.”
