Martin Behrman

{{Infobox Mayor

| name = Martin Behrman

| image = Martin Behrman portrait 1919.jpeg

| caption =

| order = 35th Mayor of New Orleans

| term_start1 = December 5, 1904

| term_end1 = December 20, 1920

| predecessor1 = Paul Capdevielle

| successor1 = Andrew J. McShane

| term_start2 = May 4, 1925

| term_end2 = January 12, 1926

| predecessor2 = Andrew J. McShane

| successor2 = Arthur J. O'Keefe

| birth_date = {{birth date|1864|10|14|mf=y}}

| birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S.

| death_date = {{death date and age|1926|1|12|1864|10|14|mf=y}}

| death_place = New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.

| constituency =

| party = Democratic

| spouse =

| profession =

| signature = Signature of Martin Behrman.png

| footnotes =

}}

Martin Behrman (October 14, 1864 – January 12, 1926), an American Democratic politician, was the longest-serving mayor in New Orleans history.

Life and career

Behrman was born in New York City, the son of Frederica and Henry Behrman.{{cite web |url=https://64parishes.org/entry/martin-behrman |title = Martin Behrman - 64 Parishes}} His parents were emigrants from Germany. He was ethnically Jewish, but "knew little about his faith."{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9R9KwRsMB-0C&pg=PA58|title=New Orleans, 1900 to 1920|last=Widmer|first=Mary Lou|date=2007|publisher=Pelican Publishing|isbn=9781589804012|page=58|language=en}} His parents brought him to New Orleans as an infant. He lived most of his life in the Algiers neighborhood, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. As a young man he became affiliated with the Regular Democratic Organization, a powerful political faction in New Orleans, during the 1888 campaign of Francis T. Nicholls for governor of Louisiana.{{cite web | title=Behrman Neighborhood | work=Greater New Orleans Community Data Center | url=http://www.gnocdc.org/orleans/12/7/index.html | access-date=2006-03-05}} Behrman served as a delegate to the Louisiana state constitutional convention in 1898.{{cite web | title=Index to Politicians: Beetie to Belch | work=The Political Graveyard | url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/beetle-belch.html | access-date=2006-03-05}}

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; he died in New Orleans on January 12, 1926, less than a year into his fifth term.{{cite web | title=Mayor Martin Behrman Records | work=City Archives, New Orleans Public Library | url=http://nutrias.org/~nopl/inv/behrman.htm | access-date=2006-03-05}}

Books by or about Martin Behrman

{{cite book | first=Martin | last=Behrman | year=1977 | title=Martin Behrman of New Orleans: memoirs of a city boss | publisher=Louisiana State University Press | location=Baton Rouge | lccn= 77006781 }}
{{cite book | first=John Smith | last=Kendall | year=1922 | title=History of New Orleans | publisher=Lewis Publishing Company | location=Chicago | chapter=Chapter XXXV, Sixteen Years of Martin Behrman | chapter-url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Places/America/United_States/Louisiana/New_Orleans/_Texts/KENHNO/35*.html | lccn= 22022725 }}
{{cite book | first=George M. (George Millar) | last=Reynolds | year=1936 | title=Machine politics in New Orleans, 1897-1926: Studies in history, economics, and public law, no. 421 | publisher=AMS Press | location=New York | lccn= 37016676 }}
{{cite book | first=Ray | last=Celestín | year=2014 | title=The Axeman’s Jazz| publisher=Macmillan Publishers Limited | location= | lccn= }}

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{{cite web | title=New Orleans Parks and Squares | work=City Archives, New Orleans Public Library | url=http://nutrias.org/~nopl/info/louinfo/noparks.htm | access-date=2006-03-05}}
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 finally [http://behrmancharter.org/ Martin Behrman Charter School]; 715 Opelousas Avenue, New Orleans{{cite web | title=Our Schools | work=Algiers Charter Schools Association | url=http://www.algierscharterschools.org/schools.htm | access-date=2006-03-05 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051124123002/http://www.algierscharterschools.org/schools.htm |archive-date = 2005-11-24}}
SS Martin Behrman, a World War II Liberty ship