Moon Landrieu

Moon Edwin Landrieu (born Maurice Edwin Landrieu) was an American lawyer and public servant who held prominent elected and appointed positions in Louisiana and at the federal level. He served as mayor of New Orleans from 1970 to 1978, overseeing a period of significant social change and urban development. In 1979 he was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, a position he held until 1981. Landrieu passed away on September 5, 2022.

Early life and career

Moon Landrieu entered the world in Uptown New Orleans on July 23, 1930. His parents were Joseph Geoffrey Landrieu and Loretta Bechtel. Bechtel’s ancestry traced back to French and German roots; her grandparents had migrated from Alsace and Prussia to Louisiana. Joseph was born in 1892 in Mississippi and was the son of Victor Firmin Landrieu, a Frenchman, and Cerentha Mackey, who was born out of wedlock to a black woman and an unknown father.

Landrieu received his secondary education at Jesuit High School before earning a baseball scholarship to Loyola University New Orleans. While attending Loyola he played as a pitcher on the college baseball team and also served as student body president during his undergraduate years. He completed a Bachelor of Arts in business administration in 1952, followed by a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola’s law school in 1954.

After graduation Landrieu joined the United States Army as a second lieutenant in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He served in that capacity until 1957, after which he returned to New Orleans to open his own legal practice and teach accounting at Loyola University.

In the late 1950s Landrieu became active in the youth wing of Mayor deLesseps Morrison’s Crescent City Democratic Organization. Running on Morrison’s ticket, he was elected by the city’s Twelfth Ward to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1960. While a state legislator he voted against the “hate bills” that segregationists had introduced to block desegregation of public facilities and schools.

Landrieu made an unsuccessful bid for the New Orleans City Council in 1962, but was elected as a councilman-at-large in 1966 after defeating incumbent Joseph V. DiRosa. As a city council member he championed several progressive measures: he led a successful campaign to enact an ordinance outlawing segregation on the basis of race or religion in public accommodations; he voted to remove the Confederate flag from the council chambers; and he supported the establishment of a biracial human relations committee.

Cabinet tenure

In 1979 President Jimmy Carter appointed Landrieu as the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The Senate confirmed his nomination, allowing him to serve in that capacity until 1981. His appointment came during a major reshuffle within the administration, positioning him at the helm of the department responsible for federal housing policy and urban development initiatives.

Legacy

Landrieu’s tenure as mayor of New Orleans is noted for its emphasis on desegregation and inclusive governance. When he took office in 1970, African Americans comprised only 19 percent of city employees; by the time his administration concluded in 1978 that figure had risen to 43 percent. He appointed several black officials to key positions, including Terrence R. Duvernay as chief administrative officer and Reverend A. L. Davis as a temporary city councilor—making Davis the first black council member in the city’s history. Landrieu also employed Robert H. Tucker, Jr., an African American assistant.

Under his leadership New Orleans secured federal funds for revitalizing low‑income neighborhoods and encouraged minority‑owned businesses to participate more fully in the local economy. The mayor promoted suburban expansion into the Algiers and New Orleans East districts, while also focusing on downtown renewal. He was instrumental in establishing the Downtown Development District and supported a number of tourism projects that have become iconic features of the city: the Moon Walk riverfront promenade, the Louisiana Superdome (costing $163 million), and renovations to the French Market and Jackson Square.

Landrieu’s administration also pursued historic preservation. He authorized the 1972 New Orleans Housing and Neighborhood Preservation Study, whose recommendations were largely implemented. In 1976 he helped create the Historic District Landmarks Commission, extending design review and demolition controls beyond the French Quarter for the first time in the city’s history.

Beyond his municipal accomplishments, Landrieu served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors during 1975–1976, a role that positioned him among national peers addressing urban challenges. After leaving office in 1978 he transitioned to the federal level as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, where he continued to influence housing policy until 1981.

Landrieu’s impact on New Orleans is remembered for advancing racial integration within city government and fostering economic development through both public works and private investment. He was the last white mayor elected in the city until his son Mitch Landrieu won the office in 2010, marking a generational continuity in public service. Moon Landrieu died on September 5, 2022, leaving behind a legacy of leadership during a pivotal era for New Orleans and American urban policy.