Date range: 1904-1929; 1925-1926
Size of collection: 6 cartons
Terms of Access: Available to registered researchers by appointment

Martin Behrman was Mayor of New Orleans for nearly 17 years, longer than any other mayor in the city's history, serving four consecutive terms (1904-1920) before his defeat by reform candidate Andrew McShane. He was re-elected in 1925, but died 9 months into his fifth term.

Behrman was born in New York City but came with his parents to New Orleans as an infant. Orphaned early, he worked as a clerk and sales representative for several produce and grocery firms before entering politics as a ward worker for the Regular Democratic Organization during the 1888 gubernatorial campaign of Francis T. Nichols. Prior to his election as Mayor, he held minor elective and appointive offices (including President of the Board of Assessors and State Auditor) and rose to power as leader of the city's 15th ward (Algiers, where he lived for most of his life).

Behrman's machine administration was responsible for considerable improvements in city services and facilities (including sewer and water systems, drainage, streets, the port, and public schools and public health facilities). It was during Behrman's tenure that the Public Belt Railroad was developed, the 1912 City Charter changed the city council to the commission form, and Storyville closed.

The records are 6 cartons, primarily correspondence, arranged in two series of 3 cartons each, the first covering Behrman's first four terms (1904-1920) and the second, his brief final term (May 1925-January 1926).

• Series I (1904-1920)
• Series II (1925-1926)

As in all of the pre-1936 Mayor's papers, the Behrman papers have been reconstructed from fragments previously unprocessed or dispersed in subject files kept in the Official Vertical File. The records are arranged alphabetically by name of corporate or individual correspondent. Correspondence marked with clear filing notes is filed according to the subject designated in the note and arranged chronologically therein.

Relatively few records have survived from the 16 years of Behrman's first tenure; those extant consist mainly of in-coming correspondence from city, parish, or state agencies, neighborhood civic groups, public officials, and private citizens. Among the agencies represented most fully are the City Engineer and the Public Belt Railroad Commission. Included in the file for the New Orleans Board of Health is material concerning the 1905 yellow fever epidemic (the last major epidemic to occur in New Orleans) and its aftermath; additional letters from individuals offering assistance or donations during the epidemic are filed by name of correspondent or in the file "Citizens' Yellow Fever Committee." Correspondence from the New Orleans Progressive Union (a forerunner of the Chamber of Commerce) forms another substantial file. Individual correspondents include President Theodore Roosevelt, Governor Newton C. Blanchard, Senators Samuel McEnery and Murphy J. Foster, Eleanor McMain, Rudolph Matas (in "M" Miscellaneous folder), Isidore Newman (in "N" Miscellaneous), Kate Gordon (in "National American Woman Suffrage Association"), and Sophie B. Wright.

The records in the second series, covering Behrman's final term, are more substantial than those in the first series, although they too are fragmentary. Among the agencies covered most fully are the City Attorney, the Isaac Delgado Central Trades School, the Louisiana Highway Commission, and the Board of Commissioners of the Orleans Levee District. Substantial files also exist for the New Orleans Association of Commerce and the International Trade Exposition. Individual correspondents include Governor Henry L. Fuqua, Senator Joseph E. Ransdell, Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York, Dr. Rudolph Matas, Edgar B. Stern (in "L" Miscellaneous), several Louisiana congressmen, and the mayors of a number of American cities.

Carton 1

"A" Miscellaneous

Annunciation Park Commission

Audubon Park Commission

"B" Miscellaneous

Barry, Bryan T. [Mayor, Dallas, Texas]

Battleship Louisiana Silver Service Committee

Beauregard Square Commission

Blanchard, Governor Newton C.

Blenk, Archbishop James H.

Board of Assessors

Board of Liquidation, City Dept

Brennan, James A.

"C" Miscellaneous

Caffin Avenue Commission

Carondelet Canal and Navigation Company

Carrollton Avenue, Board of Commissioners of

Central Trades and Labor Council

Chappell, L.H. [Mayor, Columbus, Georgia]

Charity Hospital Diamond Jubilee and Festival

Charity Organization Society

Citizens' Volunteer Ward Organization

Citizens' Yellow Fever Fund Committee

City Attorney

City Council

City Electrician

City Engineer

City Notary

City Park Avenue and Vicinity Improvement Association

City Park Improvement Association

Civil Sheriff

Claiborne Circle Commission

Clark Place, Board of Commissioners of

Clay Square Commission

Cleveland Park Commission

Coliseum Park Commission

Colored Industrial Home and School

Comptroller's Office

Contractors and Dealers Exchange

Cotton Factors Committee

Courthouse Commission

Cumberland Telephone and Telegraph Company

"D" Miscellaneous

Daily States

Davey, Congressman Robert C.

Democratic Party of Louisiana

Democratic State Central Committee of Louisiana

Denegre and Blair

Desaix Park Commission

Dupre, Congressman H. Garland

Dymond, John, Jr.

"E" Miscellaneous

Esplanade Avenue, Board of Commissioners of

"F" Miscellaneous

Fire Department

First City Court

Fortier, Alcee

Foster, Senator Murphy J.

Franklin Avenue Improvement Association

Frenchmen Street Commission

"G" Miscellaneous

Gentilly Avenue Commissioners

"H" Miscellaneous

"I" Miscellaneous

Interstate Inland Waterway

Invitations

Isaac Delgado Museum of Art

"J" Miscellaneous

Jackson Avenue Commission

Jefferson Davis Parkway Commission

Johnson, Warren

Juvenile Court

Carton 2

"K" Miscellaneous

Kreisman, Frederick H. [Mayor, St. Louis, Missouri]

"L" Miscellaneous

Lakeview Improvement Association

Lawler, H.T., and Sons

Lee Circle Commission

Louisiana Board of State Engineers

Louisiana Historical Society

Louisiana National Guard

Louisiana Railroad Commission

Louisiana State Board of Health

Louisiana State Insane Asylum

Louisiana State Museum

Louisiana State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Louisiana Sugar and Rice Exchange

Louisiana Tax Commission

"M" Miscellaneou

Macarthy Square Commission

McEnery, Senator Samuel Douglas

McMain, Eleanor

Meyer, Congressman Adolph

Miscellaneous

Mithouard, A. [President, Municipal Council of Paris, France]

Murray Square Commission

"N" Miscellaneous

Napoleon Avenue, Board of Commissioners of

National American Woman Suffrage Association

Neron Place Commissioners

New Orleans Board of Health

New Orleans Board of Trade

New Orleans Conventions and Tourist Bureau

New Orleans Cotton Exchange

New Orleans Item

New Orleans Progressive Union

New Orleans Public Library

New Orleans Railway and Light Company

New Orleans Water Works Company

Ninth Ward Improvement and Protective Association

"O" Miscellaneous

Octavia Street Commission

Orleans Levee District, Board of Commissioners of

"P" Miscellaneous

Parking Commission

Petitions

Philharmonic Society of New Orleans

Poland Avenue Commission

Police and Public Buildings, Department of

Police Department

Port of New Orleans, Board of Commissioners of

Prisons and Asylums, Board of Commissioners of

Public Belt Railroad Commission

Public Playgrounds, Board of Commissioners of

Public Schools

Public Works, Department of

"Q" Miscellaneous

"R" Miscellaneous

Rainold, Frank E.

Recorder's Courts

Rex [Carnival Organization]

Roosevelt, Theodore

"S" Miscellaneous

St. Bernard Avenue Improvement Association

St. Charles Avenue Commission

St. Charles Hotel

St. Claude Avenue, Board of Commissioners of

St. Roch Park, Board of Commissioners of

Salvation Army

Samuel Square Commission

Schmitz, E.E. [Mayor, San Francisco, California]

Sewerage and Water Board

Speeches

State National Bank of New Orleans

State Street Commission

"T" Miscellaneous

Thornton, Senator J.R.

Travelers Protective Association

Treasurer's Office

Tulane University

"U" Miscellaneous

United Confederate Veterans

United States Customs Service

United States Department of Commerce and Labor

United States Department of State

United States House of Representatives

United States Navy

United States Public Health and Marine Hospital Service

United States Treasury Department

Upper South Claiborne Avenue Commission

Ursulines Avenue Commission

"V" Miscellaneous

"W" Miscellaneous

Washington Square Commission

Webster Street Commission

World's Panama Exposition Company [New Orleans]

Wright, Sophie B.

"X,Y,Z" Miscellaneous

Zacharie Park Commission

Carton 1

"A" Miscellaneous

American Bank and Trust Company

American Legion

Anonymous

Aswell, Congressman James B.

Audubon Park Commission

"B" Miscellaneous

Baldwin, L.W.

Brown, A. Tenn Eyck

"C" Miscellaneous

Carrollton Section Independent Civic Association

Central Louisiana State Hospital

Charity Hospital

Charity Organization Society

City Architect

City Attorney

City Council

City Electrician

City Engineer

City Hospital for Mental Diseases

City Park Improvement Association

City Planning and Zoning Commission

Civil District Court

Claiborne, Charles F.

Community Chest

Coolidge, President Calvin [Copy of telegram from Behrman]

Coroner's Office

"D" Miscellaneous

Daily States

Davey, John C.

Dymond, John, Jr.

"E" Miscellaneous

"F" Miscellaneous

Feitel, M.

Fire Department

Fourteenth Ward Civic League

Fourth and Fifth Wards Civic Improvement Association

Funeral Documents

Fuqua, Governor Henry L.

"G" Miscellaneous

Garver, C.M. [Mayor, Des Moines, Iowa]

Gentilly Garden and Terrace Improvement Association

La Guepe de la Nouvelle Orleans

"H" Miscellaneous

"I" Miscellaneous

Illinois Central Railroad Co.

International Association of Machinists, Crescent City Lodge #37

International Trade Exhibition

Isaac Delgado Central Trade School

Item-Tribune

"J" Miscellaneous

Juvenile Court

"K" Miscellaneous

Kells, Dr. C. Edmund

Kendrick, W. Freeland [Mayor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]

Carton 2

"L" Miscellaneous

Louisiana Department of Conservation

Louisiana Department of Labor

Louisiana Highway Commission

Louisiana Library Commission

Louisiana Public Service Commission

Louisiana State Board of Health

Louisiana State Fire Marshall

Louisiana State Museum

"M" Miscellaneous

Manufacturers Record

Marine Bank and Trust Company

Matas, Dr. Rudolph

Meyer Brothers Drug Company [St. Louis, Missouri]

Miller, Victor J. [Mayor, St. Louis, Missouri]

Miscellaneous

Motor League of Louisiana

"N" Miscellaneous

New Orleans Association of Commerce

New Orleans Board of Health

New Orleans Convention and Publicity Bureau

New Orleans Federation of Clubs

New Orleans Industrial Canal Land and Harbor Development Company

New Orleans Permanent International Trade Exhibition

New Orleans Public Library

Night Recorder's Court

Ninth Ward Civic Association

"O" Miscellaneous

O'Connor, Congressman James

Orleans Levee District, Board of Commissioners

"P" Miscellaneous

Parking Commission of New Orleans

Petitions

Playground Community Service Commission

Carton 3

Police Department

Port of New Orleans, Board of Commissioners

Proclamations

Public Belt Railroad Commission

Public Buildings, Division of

Public Finance, Department of

Public Property, Department of

Public Safety, Department of

Public Schools

Public Utilities, Department of

"Q" Miscellaneous

"R" Miscellaneous

Ransdell, Senator Joseph E.

Roosevelt, Franklin D. [Copy of letter from Behrman]

"S" Miscellaneous

Safe River Committee of 100

St. Bernard Parish Police Jury

Scholarships

Sewerage and Water Board

Smith, Governor Alfred E. [New York]

Spearing, Congressman J. Zach

Speeches, Statements, etc.

State Tax Collector for the City of New Orleans

Streckfus, Roy

Sullivan, W.H. [Mayor, Bogalusa, Louisiana]

"T" Miscellaneous

Thomas, L.E. [Mayor, Shreveport, Louisiana]

Times-Picayune

Tobin, John W. [Mayor, San Antonio, Texas]

Todd, William H.

"U" Miscellaneous

United States Bureau of the Budget

United States Customs Service

United States Department of Justice

United States Department of Labor

United States Navy

United States Post Office

United States Veterans Bureau

"V" Miscellaneous

"W" Miscellaneous

Weinberger, Charles

Wilson, Congressman Riley J.

"X,Y,Z" Miscellaneous

Young Men's Business Club

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coded: 1/15/1999
coded by: Irene Wainwright