Morrison as mayor DeLesseps Story Morrison

1 morrison mayor

1.1 morrison, crime, , nopd
1.2 morrison , race
1.3 election of 1956
1.4 election of 1959-1960
1.5 election of 1963–1964

morrison mayor

as mayor, morrison put strong public relations team, helped him cultivate image dynamic reformer , of city progressive one. gained widespread praise in national press.

in 1950, morrison struck deal intraparty rival, governor earl kemp long long agree return home rule crescent city, @ time being virtually governed state out of baton rouge. morrison agreed not work against long s nephew, russell b. long, full term in united states senate formally endorse 1 of long s rivals, malcolm lafargue, former u.s. attorney western district of louisiana, based in shreveport. though morrison endorsed lafargue, privately urged followers support russell long, whom expected win race, developed.

journalist iris kelso first assigned city hall beat in 1954 , covered morrison administration in great detail.

morrison marketed city effectively, , instrumental in creating post-world war ii image of new orleans growing , progressive sun belt metropolis. administration attracted significant private investment , welcomed establishment of numerous oil industry , white-collar corporate offices in downtown new orleans, several sizable new industrial plants elsewhere. emphasize differences predecessor, whom had characterized dictatorial, morrison worked law passed reduce powers of mayor. created new city planning commission , moved make administration more efficient firing many of maestri s patronage appointments (though replaced morrison s own supporters).

morrison downsized city operations selling off of city s public markets. torn down, regretted later costing city valuable community centers. addressed housing crisis building veterans housing operated housing authority of new orleans, , engaged in more large-scale urban renewal other new orleans mayor. morrison s administration demolished low-income neighborhoods build new or expand existing public housing projects, expropriated private property construct new orleans civic center, new orleans union passenger terminal, , several street-widening projects in city s downtown.

one of popular acts create new orleans recreation department (nord), included segregated facilities whites , blacks (all public facilities segregated in years). began extensive citywide street improvement program financed though bond issue, , located funding sufficient construct numerous street overpasses , underpasses, eliminating at-grade railway crossings within city limits. morrison acquiesced in new orleans public service s dismantling of city s extensive streetcar network in 1950s.

a proponent of increased international trade, morrison lent support construction of international trade mart - precursor city s world trade center. traveled extensively in latin america promote trade new orleans. became friends dictators rafael trujillo , juan perón. morrison s wish reinforce ties latin america expressed in such urban renewal projects having new central area circulators embellished monuments central , south american historical figures. widened basin street outfitted monuments simón bolívar, benito juárez, , francisco morazán. statue of bolívar prominently sited , still stands @ corner of canal , basin streets. new circulator in central city renamed simon bolivar avenue.

despite running on platform stressing elimination of old regular machine, after election morrison built own political organization, crescent city democratic association. ccda began finding supporters jobs in city hall , in municipal construction contracts. in october 1946, morrison broke garbage collectors strike organizing volunteer scab labor take on duties of strikers. morrison s organization s power eclipsed of old regulars, , secured easy re-elections in 1950, 1954, , 1958.

morrison pushed new city charter in 1954, replaced at-large council commission system legislative city council combining 5 district-based , 2 at-large members. system of municipal government established 1954 charter still operates in new orleans. charter limited mayor 2 consecutive four-year terms, did not apply morrison, exempted grandfather clause. late in 1954, morrison attended inauguration of newly elected mayor james c. gardner of shreveport, served single four-year term. gardner undertook similar reforms in shreveport of kind morrison had initiated in new orleans. 2 became friends on years; gardner considered more conservative morrison. in 1950, morrison elected president of national municipal association. in 1953, won organization s laguardia award, named former new york city mayor fiorello h. la guardia.

morrison, crime, , nopd

after assuming office in 1946, morrison appointed adair watters superintendent of new orleans police department (nopd) in effort eliminate corruption. tensions developed when watters moved suppress gambling, prostitution, , other vice zealously morrison s liking. watters resigned in february 1949 because of morrison s political interference nopd activities. throughout of 1950s, scandals continued revealed concerning involvement of nopd in graft , vice. in 1952, metropolitan crime commission of new orleans established independent monitor of nopd , morrison administration s approach vice. state police colonel francis grevemberg, later two-time gubernatorial candidate, led series of high-profile raids on new orleans gambling establishments embarrassed morrison , nopd inactivity. eventually, retired fbi agent aaron m. kohn sent chicago investigate nopd involvement in vice. kohn later recalled:

after year, began realize system down here. in chicago, people on 1 side of fence or other—honest or crooked. in louisiana, there isn t fence.

he complained morrison obstructing efforts. in 1955, morrison forced mayor ask schuering s resignation.

morrison , race

early in administration, morrison supported construction of suburban-style black neighborhood named pontchartrain park, built public housing low-income blacks, , spent money on street , infrastructure improvements in black neighborhoods. nord built playgrounds, swimming pools, , recreational centers african americans. these actions earned him enmity of hard-line segregationists. in 1950, oversaw nopd s hiring of first black policeman since advent of jim crow era in late 19th century. these measures aside, morrison remained committed segregation , known use racial slurs in private conversations. facilities built in black neighborhoods segregated , received inferior funding compared civic projects in white neighborhoods. historian adam fairclough interprets morrison s building programs blacks way of shoring segregation defusing dissatisfaction inferior facilities. many black leaders found him sympathetic unwilling take more meaningful action address concerns. morrison s approach race relations increasingly fell behind times civil rights movement gained momentum.

in 1959 gubernatorial runoff contest, morrison proclaimed support segregation , noted new orleans @ time least racially mixed of large southern cities. boasted had been sued naacp on segregationist policies in city.

new orleans gained national attention in fall of 1960 during new orleans school desegregation crisis city s school board implemented federal integration order public schools. 4 black students entered 2 white schools, mcdonogh no. 19 elementary school , william frantz elementary school, in city s ninth ward, greeted outside mobs of white women , youths screaming racial slurs , throwing bottles , refuse. while morrison did not join governor jimmie davis drive prevent integration shutting schools down, did nothing prevent intimidating segregationist demonstrations. nopd passively stood while mobs heckled parents bringing children school, @ same time, police arrested civil rights activists holding lunch counter sit-ins in city. morrison s lack of action stemmed political need avoid alienating black supporters while publicly retaining segregationist stance satisfy whites. position resulted in criticism both sides; black new orleanians , supporters of civil rights felt had betrayed them, while hard-line segregationists accused him of supporting integration. ultimately, fence-straddling on civil rights contributed fatigue , disenchantment citizenry received administration s actions in final years - sharp contrast comparatively ebullient 1950s. morrison s leadership failures on civil rights did compromise earlier achievements. resulted in new orleans being more poorly positioned socially , economically post-civil rights era (at time) peer cities such atlanta, houston, , dallas.

election of 1956

in election of 1956, morrison lost earl long. acerbic long ridiculed morrison city slicker out of touch residents of small towns , rural areas. long laughed @ opponent s unusual first name delesseps: ole de la soups man can talk out of both sides of mouth, whistle, , strut @ once. trailing both long , morrison in 1956 primary fred preaus of farmerville, choice of outgoing governor robert kennon; francis grevemberg, former state police superintendent; , james m. mclemore, alexandria auction-barn owner ran second consecutive unsuccessful race on strictly segregationist platform.

fred preaus s running-mate lieutenant governor morrison s city council colleague, a. brown moore, decorated veteran of world war ii had served under general george s. patton, jr.

the current lieutenant governor, c. e. cap barham of ruston, ran unsuccessfully morrison in bid second term in second-highest state office. 2 proposed new louisiana politics. in stump speeches, morrison reminded listeners state programs came taxes , not 1 might prefer adopted. yet mentioned projects important local voters.

election of 1959-1960

three lsu scholars described morrison, launched second bid governor, accordingly:

morrison different typical anti-long candidate inasmuch had demonstrated liberal proclivities, particularly in giving support national democratic party , attitude on labor , race relations. in many respects, morrison seemed represent combination louisiana voters had unsuccessfully groped on long period of time: respectability , integrity in combination welfare-state programmatic outlook ... morrison faced 2 awesome handicaps: new orleans, , of roman catholic faith. traditional suspicion of big-city counted against him in many areas of state, , predominantly protestant north louisiana sector has long contended no catholic or should governor of state.

in election of 1959-1960, morrison lost former governor jimmie davis, singer of both popular songs , gospel hymns. polled 414,110 votes (45.5 percent) in runoff davis 487,681 (54.1 percent). davis endorsed in runoff third-place candidate, segregationist william monroe rainach of claiborne parish, rainach s preferred candidate state comptroller, future u.s. representative joe d. waggonner. morrison endorsed fifth-place candidate, bill dodd, dodd s showing had been insufficient morrison much. rainach later expressed disappointment second davis administration, though had endorsed man. in primary runoff, morrison s lieutenant governor choice, alexandria mayor w. george bowdon, jr., lost race clarence taddy aycock of franklin, louisiana, , former speaker of louisiana house.

other morrison ticket candidates lost too, including george w. shannon commissioner of agriculture , forestry, fred columbus dent, sr., register of state land, david wallace chennault, son of general claire chennault, custodian of voting machines, mrs. marion henderson of colfax, grant parish state comptroller, , r. w. tom farrar, jr., state attorney general.

in appearance in shreveport, country music star minnie pearl campaigned morrison, rather fellow entertainer jimmie davis. morrison carried endorsement of 3 of 4 louisiana teamsters union chapters, lake charles branch remaining neutral in runoff election against davis. louisiana afl-cio, later headed decades victor bussie of shreveport , baton rouge, endorsed davis through committee on political education, or cope, favored morrison s running-mate, george bowdon, lieutenant governor.

jimmie davis had avoided segregationist rhetoric in first primary race in 1959 and, according morrison, had sought support naacp in new orleans , lake charles. in runoff morrison, davis projected himself more determined , dedicated segregationist rival. morrison questioned davis s change in campaign strategy , tried himself appeal segregationists. morrison charged davis had operated integrated honky-tonk in california , when davis out of state singing career. morrison said davis had allowed illegal operation of 9 thousand slot machines when davis governor in 1940s.

election of 1963–1964

in election of 1963–1964, morrison lost public service commissioner john mckeithen small town of columbia in rural caldwell parish. in 1964 primary, morrison ran attorney claude b. duval, houma (terrebonne parish), sought office of lieutenant governor. duval, longtime personal friend of morrison s, lost, defeated st. mary parish neighbor, c. c. aycock, ran independent democrat year. (although democrat, aycock not allied gubernatorial slate of candidates.) 2 other morrison-backed candidates state representative jack m. dyer of baton rouge insurance commissioner , mayor raymond laborde of marksville custodian of voting machines. dyer lost dudley a. guglielmo, , laborde fell incumbent douglas fowler of coushatta in red river parish. laborde had argued abolition of office, abolished in 2004.