Mayor Arthur J. O'Keefe records

Collection

Identifier: CA-AA-OKeefe

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Much of the material is "ceremonial" (i.e., letters of introduction/greetings, letters of appointment, etc.) but there are documents of more significance, especially in the files for city of New Orleans government agencies. The New Orleans Police Department files include scattered reports on investigations of houses of prostitution, fortune-telling, and other "nuisances" of the day. The Orleans Levee District, Board of Commissioners files include details of the Board's purchase of land for the Bohemia Spillway. In addition to records relating to agencies of the city, parish, state, and national governments, there are also materials dealing with local individuals, institutions, and businesses. Several black organizations are among those represented in the records (for example, the file on the Peoples' Methodist Episcopal Church contains a flier, with photographs, describing the activities of the Peoples' Community Center).

Dates

Creation: 1926-1929

Creator

Office of the Mayor (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Available to registered researchers by appointment.

Requesting Materials

Materials Request Guidelines

Conditions Governing Use

Reproduction or use of materials is prohibited without the permission of the City Archives & Special Collections. Please review the Archives' Permission to Publish note.

Biographical / Historical

Arthur Joseph O'Keefe (1876-1943), a native of New Orleans, served as the city's mayor from 1926-1930. Before entering politics, O'Keefe operated a coffee and tea importing business and served as a director of other local firms. He was a member of the Choctaw Club, the city's Democratic machine, and in 1925 was elected Commissioner of Finance in Martin Behrman's last administration. When Behrman died early in 1926, the Commission Council elected O'Keefe acting mayor. He later won the special election to fill Behrman's unexpired term.

His term witnessed construction of the Watson-Williams bridge [also know as the Maestri bridge or the Highway 11 bridge] over Lake Ponchartrain and the beginning of the Municipal Auditorium construction project. O'Keefe opposed efforts, supported by Huey P. Long, to build free bridges at the Rigolets and Chef Menteur pass and to pipe cheap natural gas into the Crescent City. On July 15, 1929, O'Keefe took a leave of absence from his office (T. Semmes Walmsley became acting Mayor) and formally resigned the position on February 14, 1930.