Name Billy III | ||
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Education Louisiana State University, United States Coast Guard Academy | ||
Wilbert Joseph "Billy" Tauzin III was born December 1, 1973 in Thibodaux, Louisiana, the son of Congressman Billy Tauzin and Gayle Clement Tauzin. After graduating from Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington, VA, as a National Honor Society Student and 3 sport lettermen (football, wrestling and lacrosse), Tauzin accepted an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.
After resigning from the Coast Guard Academy his junior year, Tauzin finished his bachelor's degree in marketing at Louisiana State University in 1996. He worked for Bell Atlantic Wireless in Virginia and later BellSouth in Metairie, Louisiana.
In a decision that provoked internal dissension in the Louisiana Republican Party, the 30-year-old Tauzin was endorsed by the Republican Party executive committee as its candidate to fill the open seat caused by his father's 2004 retirement from the United States House of Representatives due to his battle with intestinal cancer.
Tauzin bested a crowded field in the primary and faced Democratic challenger Charlie Melancon, a long-time lobbyist for the sugar cane industry, in the runoff. The hotly contested race ended with both candidates receiving 50% but Melancon edging Tauzin by over 300 votes out of over 100,000 votes cast.
Tauzin finished his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Nicholls State University in 2006 and currently works for AT&T (merged with BellSouth) as a district manager in San Antonio, Texas. Tauzin is also a coach for the Central Catholic Marianist High School Lacrosse team, which competes in Texas High School Lacrosse League (THSLL). He also referees for the local games in the area. In 2010 Tauzin was head coach of the French national lacrosse team at the Lacrosse World Games in Manchester.