Marc Morial

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Marc Morial
File:Community Day Ribbon Cutting at the 2025 National Urban League Conference - 01 (cropped).jpg
Morial at 2025 National Urban League Conference.
59th Mayor of New Orleans
In office
May 2, 1994 – May 6, 2002
Preceded bySidney Barthelemy
Succeeded byRay Nagin
59th President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office
2001–2002
Preceded byBrent Coles
Succeeded byThomas Menino
Member of the Louisiana Senate
from the 4th district
In office
1992–1994
Preceded byBen Bagert
Succeeded byPaulette Irons
Personal details
BornMarc Haydel Morial
(1958-01-03) January 3, 1958 (age 68)
New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
PartyDemocratic
SpouseMichelle Miller
Parent(s)Ernest Morial
Sybil Haydel Morial
EducationUniversity of Pennsylvania (BA)
Georgetown University (JD)

Marc Haydel Morial (/ˌmɔːriˈæl/; born January 3, 1958)[1] is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as Mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002 [2] as the city's youngest Mayor,[3] President of the United States Conference of Mayors in 2001, and as a Louisiana State Senator from 1992 to 1994.[4]

Morial was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and receiving his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center in 1983,[5] he began his career as a lawyer in New Orleans and in 1985 he established a private law practice there.

In 2021, Harvard University published a case study, profiling Morial, called "Embracing the Uphill Struggle: Marc Morial’s Quest for Corporate Diversity".

Biography

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Early life and education

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Marc Morial was born to Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial and Sybil (Haydel) Morial, an elementary school teacher, Xavier University of New Orleans dean and civic activist. He is the second of five children. He was raised in Pontchartrain Park, a subdivision of New Orleans.

Morial went on to graduate Jesuit High School in New Orleans as a member of the National Honor Society. He was one of only 14 Black students of 1,000 at Jesuit High School, he founded the Student Association for Black Achievement, and organized the school's first Black History Month celebration.[6]

Morial was included in Who's Who Among High School Students and Who's Who in America and Outstanding Young Men of America in high school.[7]

In 1980 Morial earned a bachelor's degree in economics and African American studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Morial earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1983 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.[8] At Georgetown, he was elected first-year Delegate to the Student Bar Association and served as a member and head of fundraising for the National Black Law Students Association.

Early career

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After working during his third year in law school for the late U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, he returned to New Orleans to join the firm Barham and Churchill.[9]

In 1985, Morial established a private law practice in New Orleans.[10]

After a narrow defeat in his first race for public office for Louisiana second congressional district, Morial was elected as Louisiana State senator in 1991 where he served until 1994 before being elected Mayor of New Orleans.[4]

State senator

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As a Louisiana State Senator (1992–94), Morial was Chairman of the Educational Institution Subcommittee; and member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.[11]

Mayor of New Orleans

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Marc Morial was elected Mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana in 1994 by defeating Donald Mintz with 54% of the vote.[12] He was the youngest Mayor of New Orleans in 50 years and at the time was one of the youngest mayors of any major American city.[13] He campaigned with the promise to "clean out City Hall with a shovel not a broom."[14] Morial won re-election to a second term in 1998, receiving almost 80% of the votes.

During his time as Mayor, the rate of violent crime in New Orleans fell by 50%."[15][16] From 2001 to 2002, Morial was President of the United States Conference of Mayors.[17] He served as chief spokesperson for America’s Cities (2001–02). In addition to his time as President, he also served as the organization’s Chairman for the Committee on Arts,[18] Chairman for the Federal Budget Task Force,[19] and Chairman for the Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness,[20] and Vice President,[21] among other positions.

National Urban League

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In 2003, Morial was selected to head the National Urban League. In 2004, Morial added a new metric, the Equality Index, to the League's annual State of Black America.[22]

Publications

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Morial has written two non-fiction books, published speeches, weekly newspaper columns and a weekly newsletter, “ReMarcs” for the National Urban League.

  • “A National Action Plan for America’s Cities,” The Urban Lawyer: The National Quarterly on State and Local Government Law, Volume 34 Number 3, Summer 2002.
  • “Decisions of Courage,” a Book of Speeches by Mayor Marc H. Morial from his first term as Mayor of New Orleans. 1998
  • “To Be Equal,” a weekly newspaper column. 2003 – Present
  • The Gumbo Coalition - 2020[23]

Presidential Commissions

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Morial served as Chair of the Census Advisory Committee (2010),[24] and a member President's Advisory Council on Financial Capability (2012–2015).[25] He was also appointed to the Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission by President Bill Clinton (1998–2000).[26]

References

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