In 1925, Kennon was elected mayor of Minden, Louisiana, at the age of 23. He served in that position until 1928. In 1930, he became
district attorney for
Bossier Parish. He served as a district attorney until 1940. He also served as district attorney in
Webster Parish. Apparently he was attorney for both parishes at the same time. Kennon was elected to the 2nd circuit court of appeals in 1940. However, he instead of serving joined the United States military and did not take up active service as a judge until after World War II. While governor, Kennon reestablished the state
civil service in Louisiana, which had been abolished by his predecessor
Earl Long. He also advocated constitutional amendments to limit the power of the governor's office. He also worked to create
home rule for
New Orleans and end state government interference in local issues there. Other things Kennon did while governor were ensuring that every precinct had a voting machine while working to suppress illegal slot machines and gambling in the state. During Kennon's governorship, he additionally served as chairman of the National Governors Association from 1954 to 1955, and as chairman of the
Council of State Governments in 1955. ==References==