Watson was appointed to the Louisiana State Democratic Central Committee in 1940 and served on the panel for the following twenty-six years . He was vice-chairman from 1960 to 1964 and chairman for eight years from 1968 to 1976 . He was a delegate to the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago . Watson , with the support of party conservative leader Leander Perez , succeeded Edward M. Carmouche , a lawyer from Lake Charles as chairman . Carmouche had been elected in December 1967 , when C. H. " Sammy " Downs of Alexandria resigned the post . In that fight the conservative Democrats had been led by W. L. " Jack " Howard , the mayor of Monroe . During Watson 's chairmanship , Louisiana voters rejected the Democratic presidential nominee , Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey , a former student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge . Instead , the state supported former Governor George C. Wallace of Alabama , running on his temporary American Independent Party ticket
1968 Democratic National Convention
1968 Democratic National Convention
Arthur C. Watson