[Theodore R.]

Sorrell Booke was head and shoulders ahead of H. Barbour:

Booke (Boss Hogg) was born in Buffalo, New York, a cousin of Max Yasgur of Woodstock fame. Fluent in five languages including Russian and Japanese, Booke earned degrees from both Columbia and Yale universities. He served in the Korean War as a counterintelligence officer.

[Publius]

Booke agonized about what hat and which accent Hogg should use. A Panama hat? Too Old South. A Stetson? Probably better because it's New South.

In the end, he based his accent on Strom Thurmond.

[tennmountainman]

Of course he was. He was the original Boss Hogg.