Born in Lafayette, Louisiana. Received B.S. from University of Southwestern Louisiana in 1967 and J.D. from Tulane University in 1970. Married Leslie Jean Owen in 1967. They have three sons. Served with Louisiana National Guard 1968-74.

Practiced law. Partner in Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre. Associate with Hayes, Fassio, Durio & Richard. Vice president of Winnwood, Inc. General partner in Woodlands Real Estate Development; William Building Partnership. Assistant district attorney in Louisiana. Commissioner of Financial Institutions for State of Louisiana.

Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1986 and served January 1987 to January 1997.

He began collecting coins while in high school and specialized in high grade first year of issue type coins. His collection was sold as Stack's 50th Anniversary Sale October 22, 1985. The collection was called "The finest quality collection ever sold at auction."

In 2018 he was appointed executive director for the Industry Council for Tangible Assets (ICTA). He left that position at the end of 2020.

In 2024 he is general counsil for the National Coin & Bullion Association.

In 2024 he was on the Coin World list of 100 Most Influential People in Numismatics.

bio: WWA 94 profile: Legacy I/2