Martin Behrman (October 14, 1864 – January 12, 1926), an American
Democratic politician, was the longest-serving
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
in
New Orleans history.
Life and career
Behrman was born in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, the son of Frederica and Henry Behrman. His parents were emigrants from Germany. He was
ethnically Jewish, but "knew little about his faith." His parents brought him to
as an infant. He lived most of his life in the
Algiers neighborhood, on the west bank of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...
. As a young man he became affiliated with the
Regular Democratic Organization The Regular Democratic Organization (RDO), or Old Regulars, or the New Orleans Ring, is a conservative political organization based in New Orleans. It has existed for 130 years and as of 2017 is still active. The symbol of the RDO is the rooster. F ...
, a powerful political faction in New Orleans, during the 1888
campaign
Campaign or The Campaign may refer to:
Types of campaigns
* Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed
*Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme
* Bl ...
of
Francis T. Nicholls for
governor of Louisiana.
Behrman served as a delegate to the Louisiana state
constitutional convention in 1898.
Behrman eventually served as mayor for just under 17 years, first from 1904 to 1920. After four consecutive terms he was defeated by reform candidate
Andrew J. McShane. Behrman ran again in 1925 and won, serving from 1925 to 1926. He died in New Orleans less than a year into his fifth term.
Books by or about Martin Behrman
*
*
*
Quotes
* "You can make it illegal, but you can't make it unpopular" (in reference to the closing of the
Storyville district).
Places/things named after Martin Behrman
*Behrman Avenue, New Orleans
*Behrman Highway, New Orleans
*Behrman Memorial Park, including Behrman Gym & Stadium, 2529 General Meyer Avenue, New Orleans
*Behrman neighborhood in Algiers
*Martin Behrman Avenue,
Metairie, Louisiana
*Martin Behrman Walk, Metairie, Louisiana
*Martin Behrman Senior High School, whose faculty included
State Senator Olaf Fink, later known as Martin Behrman Middle School, then Martin Behrman Elementary School, and finall
Martin Behrman Charter School 715 Opelousas Avenue, New Orleans
*
SS ''Martin Behrman'', a
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
Liberty ship
Liberty ships were a class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Though British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost construction. Ma ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Behrman, Martin
1864 births
1926 deaths
American political bosses from Louisiana
Jewish mayors of places in the United States
Jewish American people in Louisiana politics
Louisiana Democrats
Mayors of New Orleans
Politicians from New York City