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Marc Haydel MorialAmerican politician and civic leader
Date of Birth: 03.01.1958
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Marc Haidel Morial
Marc Haidel Morial is an American politician and civil leader. He served as the mayor of New Orleans from 1994 to 2002. Born on January 3, 1958, in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Morial is the son of the late Ernest "Dutch" N. Morial, the first African American mayor of New Orleans, and educator Sybil Haidel Morial. He was the second of five children in his family.
Education and Early Career
Marc graduated from Jesuit High School in 1976 and obtained a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980. He then earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University in 1983. Morial opened his own law practice and served as a board member of the Louisiana Civil Liberties Union from 1986 to 1988. After an unsuccessful run for Congress in 1990 and finishing second in a race against Bill Jefferson, he spent two years in the Louisiana State Senate.
Mayor of New Orleans
Marc Morial followed in his father's footsteps and became the mayor of New Orleans, winning the elections in 1994 and 1998. In the 1994 election, he defeated Donald Mintz with 54% of the votes. His campaign slogan was "cleaning up city government with a shovel, not a broom." Morial hired Richard Pennington as the superintendent of police, which launched an aggressive investigation into the widespread corruption within the city's police department.
Under Morial's administration, the city saw a significant decrease in crime rates, attracting tourism and contributing to the economic growth of New Orleans. Fourteen new hotels were built in downtown New Orleans, thanks to the efforts to reform the police department and restore peace to the city. In 1998, Morial was re-elected for a second term.
Later Career
After serving as mayor, Morial attempted to amend the city's charter to allow him to run for a third term in 2002. However, this campaign failed when 61% of voters rejected the proposal. From 2000 to 2002, he also held the position of Chairman of the United States Conference of Mayors. Following his tenure as mayor, Morial was appointed as the President and CEO of the National Urban League, the oldest and largest organization advocating against racial discrimination in the United States.
Marc Morial's approval rating as mayor remained around 70% for approximately seven years, reflecting the consistent support from the citizens for his leadership tactics.
