Moon Landrieu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Moon Landrieu
7th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
In office September 24, 1979 – January 20, 1981
President	Jimmy Carter
Preceded by	Patricia Roberts Harris
Succeeded by	Samuel Pierce
56th Mayor of New Orleans
In office May 4, 1970 – May 1, 1978
Preceded by	Victor H. Schiro
Succeeded by	Ernest Nathan Morial
33rd President of the United States Conference of Mayors
In office 1975–1976
Preceded by	Joseph Alioto
Succeeded by	Kenneth A. Gibson
Member of the New Orleans City Council from the at-large district
In office 1966–1970
Preceded by	Joseph V. DiRosa
Succeeded by	James A. Moreau
Member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 12th district
In office 1960–1966
Preceded by	J. Marshall Brown
Succeeded by	Eddie L. Sapir
Judge of the Louisiana Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
In office 1992–2000
Succeeded by	Max N. Tobias, Jr.
Constituency	1st district, division D
Personal details
Born	Maurice Edwin Landrieu (1930-07-23)July 23, 1930 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Died	September 5, 2022(2022-09-05) (aged 92) New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Verna Satterlee ​ (m. 1954)​
Children	9, including Mary and Mitch
Education	Loyola University New Orleans (BA, JD)
Military service
Branch/service	United States Army
Years of service	1954–1957

Moon Edwin Landrieu (born Maurice Edwin Landrieu; July 23, 1930 – September 5, 2022) was an important American lawyer and politician. He is best known for serving as the 56th mayor of New Orleans from 1970 to 1978. A member of the Democratic Party, he also served in the Louisiana House of Representatives and on the New Orleans City Council. Later, he became the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under U.S. president Jimmy Carter from 1979 to 1981.

Early Life and Political Start

Moon Landrieu was born in Uptown New Orleans on July 23, 1930. His parents were Joseph Geoffrey Landrieu and Loretta Bechtel. His family had roots in Germany, France, and the United States.

Education and Military Service

Landrieu attended Jesuit High School. He earned a baseball scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans, where he played as a pitcher. He graduated with a degree in business in 1952 and a law degree in 1954. While in college, he was elected student body president.

In 1954, Landrieu joined the United States Army. He served in the Judge Advocate General's Corps until 1957. After his military service, he started his own law practice. He also taught accounting at Loyola University.

Early Political Career

In the late 1950s, Landrieu became involved in local politics. He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1960. During his time there, he voted against laws that supported racial segregation. These laws were passed by the state to prevent the desegregation of public schools and facilities.

In 1966, Landrieu was elected to the New Orleans City Council. As a councilman, he worked to end segregation in public places. He helped pass a city law against segregation based on race or religion. He also supported removing the Confederate flag from the council chambers. Landrieu also helped create a committee to improve relations between different racial groups.

Moon Landrieu as Mayor

Landrieu was elected mayor of New Orleans in 1970. He took office on May 4, 1970. He was known for his efforts to bring people together.

Landrieu greeting the president, Richard Nixon, in 1970

Landrieu as mayor in 1971

Desegregation and Diversity in City Government

As mayor, Landrieu worked to desegregate city government and public places. He encouraged businesses to become more inclusive. Before he became mayor, there were no high-ranking African American employees in City Hall. Landrieu changed this by appointing many African Americans to important positions. For example, he appointed Terrence R. Duvernay as chief administrative officer.

When Landrieu started as mayor in 1970, about 19 percent of city employees were African American. By the end of his term in 1978, this number had grown to 43 percent. He also appointed Reverend A. L. Davis as the city's first black city councilor.

City Development and Tourism

Landrieu also focused on improving New Orleans' neighborhoods. He secured money from the federal government for this purpose. He also supported businesses owned by minority groups. During his time, areas like Algiers and New Orleans East continued to grow.

He helped create the Downtown Development District. This project aimed to revitalize the city's downtown area. Landrieu also promoted tourism in New Orleans. His projects included:

• The Moon Walk, a riverside walkway near the French Quarter.
• The Louisiana Superdome.
• Renovations of the French Market and Jackson Square.

Landrieu also worked to preserve historic areas. He authorized a study on housing and neighborhood preservation in 1972. Many of its ideas were put into action. This included creating the Historic District Landmarks Commission in 1976. This commission helped protect historic buildings outside the French Quarter.

From 1975 to 1976, Landrieu served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors. He was reelected mayor in 1974 and served until April 1978. He was followed by Dutch Morial, who became the city's first black mayor. Moon Landrieu was the last white mayor of New Orleans until his son, Mitch, was elected in 2010.

After Being Mayor

Landrieu with the president, Jimmy Carter, in New Orleans in 1979

After leaving the mayor's office in 1978, Landrieu continued his public service. President Jimmy Carter appointed him as the secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served in this role from 1979 to 1981.

In 1992, Landrieu was elected to serve as a judge for the Louisiana Court of Appeals. He served as a judge until he retired in 2000.

In 2004, Landrieu was honored by being inducted into the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame. His personal papers are kept at Loyola University New Orleans and the New Orleans Public Library.

Personal Life and Family

"Moon" was a nickname Landrieu had since childhood. He officially changed his first name to "Moon" in 1969. In 1954, he married Verna Satterlee. They had nine children together. Two of their children also became well-known politicians:

• Mary Landrieu, a former U.S. senator.
• Mitch Landrieu, a former mayor of New Orleans.

The Landrieu family is Catholic. Moon Landrieu passed away at his home in New Orleans on September 5, 2022, at the age of 92. He died from heart failure after having a heart attack.

Images for kids

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  Moon Landrieu's official portrait

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  Landrieu greeting President Richard Nixon in 1970

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  Landrieu as mayor in 1971

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  Landrieu with President Jimmy Carter in New Orleans in 1979