Marc Morial

Marc Haydel Morial /ˌmɔːriˈæl/ (born January 3, 1958) is an American political and civic leader and the current president of the National Urban League. Morial served as Mayor of New Orleans, from 1994 to 2002, President of the United States Conference of Mayors in 2001, and as a Louisiana State Senator from 1992 to 1994.

Morial was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. After completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 and receiving his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Centerin 1983, he began his career as a lawyer in New Orleans and in 1985 he established a private law practice there.

Marc Morial was born January 3, 1958 to Ernest N. "Dutch" Morial and Sybil (Haydel) Morial, an elementary school teacher, Xavier University of New Orleans Dean and civic activist. He is the second of five children. He was raised in Pontchartrain Park, a subdivision of New Orleans.

Morial went on to graduate from Jesuit High School in New Orleans.

Morial was included in Who’s Who Among High School Students and Who’s Who in America and Outstanding Young Men of America in high school.

In 1980 Morial earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and African American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Morial earned a Juris Doctor degree in 1983 from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. At Georgetown, he was elected first-year Delegate to the Student Bar Association and served as a member and head of fundraising for the National Black Law Students Association.

After working during his third year in law school for the late U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, he returned to New Orleans to join the firm Barham and Churchill.

In 1985, Morial established a private law practice in New Orleans.. He was also General Counsel and Auctioneer, Office of the Civil Sheriff for Orleans Parish.

After a narrow defeat in his first race for public office for Louisiana second congressional district, Morial was elected as Louisiana State senator in 1991 where he served until 1994 before being elected Mayor of New Orleans.

As a Louisiana State Senator (1992 - 1994), Morial was Chairman of the Educational Institution Subcommittee; and member of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.

Marc Morial was elected Mayor of New Orleans, LA in 1994 by defeating Donald Mintz with 54% of the vote.He’s the youngest person elected Mayor of New Orleans in 50 years and at the time, one of the youngest mayors of a major American city. He campaigned with the promise to "clean out City Hall with a shovel not a broom."

Morial won re-election to a second term in 1998 New Orleans Mayoral Election, receiving 80% of the votes.

From 2001 to 2002, Morial was President of the United States Conference of Mayors.

Morial was elected President of the United States Conference of Mayors by membership and served as chief spokesperson for America’s Cities (2001-2002). After the September 11 Attacks, he led the effort to create a National Safety and Security Plan for American Cities, including the recommendation for a United States Department of Homeland Security and the federalization of airport security screens.

In 2003, Morial was selected to head the National Urban League.

In 2004, Morial added a new metric, the Equality Index, to the League's annual State of Black America.

Marc Morial is married to CBS journalist Michelle Miller. They have three children.

Morial has written two non-fiction books, published speeches, weekly newspaper columns and a weekly newsletter, “ReMarcs” for the National Urban League.

• “A National Action Plan for America’s Cities,” The Urban Lawyer: The National Quarterly on State and Local Government Law, Volume 34 Number 3, Summer 2002.
• “Decisions of Courage,” a Book of Speeches by Mayor Marc H. Morial from his first term as Mayor of New Orleans. 1998
• “To Be Equal,” a weekly newspaper column. 2003 – Present
• The Gumbo Coalition - 2020

Morial served as Chair of the Census Advisory Committee (2010), and a member President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability (2012-2015). He was also appointed to the Twenty-First Century Workforce Commission by President Bill Clinton (1998-2000).