by nolahistoryguy | Sep 27, 2025 | 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, Brother Martin High, Gentilly
Memories of my sophomore Religion teacher, Brother Ivy Leblanc, SC.
Mr. Thomas Ridgley (SA ’51), his wife Elaine, and Brother Ivy LeBlanc, S.C., at the annual Prayer Breakfast, 2009.
Brother Ivy Leblanc, SC
I was devastated when I received an email last week, asking for prayers for Brother Ivy. The school shared that Brother was not doing well, and his doctors decided on palliative care, to ease his passing. He passed yesterday. Others will eulogize and honor a man who dedicated his life to the Institute and specifically, Brother Martin High School. Here are some personal thoughts and memories of a wonderful man.
The “cool young Brother”
I first met Brother Ivy in the fall of 1973, as a tenth grader. I walked into one of the classrooms in the downstairs Resource Center, finding a younger teacher directing us to sit anywhere for that day. He introduced himself, and that led to a fun year. My fondest memory of Brother Ivy the teacher was the second or third day of the class. Catholic school, just about every class started with a prayer. Brother Leo Godin, SC, always said a Hail Mary. Other teachers, a Glory Be. Brother Ivy starts with the Sign of the Cross, then pauses, rather than offering further prayer. He said, “You know, the Sign of the Cross is, in itself, a complete prayer. So, let us begin, In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”
Talk about things that stick with you, fifty years later.
Vice-Principal
My classmate Bill McGreal (BMHS 1976) did sketches of the administrative team for the 1976 edition of Yesterday, the school’s yearbook. As I assembled images for the book, including Bill’s sketches was a no-brainer. At this time, Brother Ivy was in his second year as Vice-Principal (Discipline). In the 1974-75 school year, Brother Collin Dugas, SC (another great teacher and man of faith) stepped down as Vice-Principal (Academics). He and Mr. Louis Levy were the assistants to the first two BMHS principals, Brother Mark Thornton, SC, and Brother Brice Hendrick, SC. (Brother Brice later left the Institute, but as with everything I use to document the history of the school, I go with who these men were at a particular point in time.) So, I got to the school in the 1971-72 year. It was Brother Brice, Brother Collin, and Mr. Levy. By 1974, Brother Collin struggled with health issues and retired. Mr. Levy moved to Academics, and Brother Ivy stepped into the Disciplinarian role. Bill sketched Brother Ivy a year into what is arguably the hardest job on campus. He caught Brother’s electricity.
Principal, President
Brother Brice left BMHS at the end of the 1974-75 school. So, Brother Donan Berry, SC, came down from Catholic High in Baton Rouge, becoming Brother Martin’s third principal. Brother Donan left in 1978, and Brother Ivy moved into the top job. This 1987 photo shows Brother and Mr. John Devlin, Assistant Principal, displaying an “Excellence In Education” banner awarded the school by the Department of Education. In 1988, the school created the position of President. Brother Ivy became the first in that role, with Mr. Devlin taking over as Principal. This marked the first time a lay person ran the school.
Provincal
This 1999 photo shows Brother Ivy (left), Mr. Tom Benson (St. Aloysius 1944), and Brother Jean Sobert, SC, inspecting the progress of the “St. Aloysius Class of 1944 Gymnasium” and the Ridgley Fine Arts Center. Brother Ivy had moved to the position as Provincial, in charge of the United States Province of the Institute. Mr. Devlin moved up to President, and Mr. Gene Tullier became Brother Martin’s second principal. There’s a bit of a story behind this photo. As I put together this chapter of the book, the Development Office asked if I could work in a photo of Tom Benson. Benson was a controversial figure, as a businessman and owner of the New Orleans Saints. I came across this photo in Mr. Spellman’s office and thought, this is perfect. Brother Ivy and Brother Jean were both icons.
Legacy
Brother Ivy LeBlanc guided both the school and the Institute through a period of incredible change. His memory will bless the school for generations.
by nolahistoryguy | Aug 29, 2024 | 1980s, 1990s, 2020s, Public Belt, Railroads, Streetcars
NORTA and NOPB meet in the Riverfront Railroad Convergence.
NORTA 2004, a 2000-series Von Dullen Streetcar, operating on UPT-Riverfront (Infrogmation photo)
Riverfront Railroad Convergence
Railroads and street railways regularly crossed and ran in parallel. At their peak in the 1920s, New Orleans boasted of over 200 miles of street rail track. Railroads criss-cross streets to this day. As street railway lines decreased in the 1920s to the conversion of the Canal Street line in 1964, By 1988, we had a return of activity in the Riverfront Railroad Convergence.
From 1964 to 1988, New Orleans Public Service, Incorporated (NOPSI) and the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) operated a single streetcar line, St. Charles. In the late 1980s, NORTA (which took control of the city’s transit operations in 1984) planned a new streetcar line. They constructed “Riverfront” as a tourist line. This line operated separate from St. Charles. Riverfront’s original route ran from the Morial Convention Center to the French Market. NORTA renovated one of the old L&N/Seabord Coast tracks along the river. They installed standard-gauge trucks on arch roof streetcars they recovered from various sources. The line opened in August of 1988. Since then, railroads and street rail operate in parallel along the river. The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad operates most of the regular railroad traffic along the riverfront.
Streetcars
NORTA 451, one of the original Riverfront cars. (AC Transit photo)
After the expansion and modifications made to Riverfront in the late 1990s, the line morphed from tourist-only to part of the city’s transit system. The line now operates as Route 49, UPT-Riverfront. The line starts at the French Market. It runs along the Riverfront to Canal Street, where it turns lakebound. At Elk Place, the line turns to continue on Loyola Avenue. It terminates at Union Passenger Terminal (UPT), the city’s Amtrak station. So, the current line no longer connects the Convention Center. This was a major shift from Riverfront’s original purpose. It now focuses on moving locals and Quarter tourists rather than conventioneers.
New Orleans Public Belt
NOPB power parked by the NORTA Ursulines Street Station, 2017. (Infrogmation photo)
Meanwhile, NOPB keeps on rolling! While the number of wharves along the riverfront dwindles, the original mission of the Public Belt continues. NOPB maintains the tracks from the Huey P. Long Bridge in Jefferson to the Industrial Canal. Those tracks enable wharf access to all railroads in the metro area.
Vintage “business car” parked on NOPB tracks, 2014. (Infrogmation photo)
Additionally, the NOPB parked their vintage business car by the Old US Mint, until the car was sold.
by nolahistoryguy | Jan 2, 2024 | 1970s, 1980s, Gentilly, Lakefront, Milneburg, New Orleans East, Pontchartrain Beach
The Pontchartrain Beach Skyride was a popular 1970s-80s attraction.
Pontchartrain Beach Skyride
Photo of the “Skyride” at the Pontchartrain Beach amusement park.The attraction was a classic ski lift-style ride that carried folks from one end of the midway to another. The photo shows the elevated walkway that led out to the sand beach along the lake. A car traveling in the opposite direction carries three girls wearing jeans. To the right is the main concessions stand. In the background stands the Zephyr, the park’s large, wooden roller coaster.
Da Beach
Harry Batt, Jr., built his original amusement park along Bayou St. John in 1929. He moved it to Milneburg, at Elysian Fields and the Lakefront, in 1939. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) built a bath house at that location. They solicited bids for an operator to run the bath house and expand the site. Batt did just that. The amusement park stood between two large military facilities, NAS New Orleans to the west and an Army facility to the East. The navy base is now the University of New Orleans, and the Army base is now the Lake Oaks subdivision.
Streamline Moderne
Main concession stand at night.
The main buildings of the park were in the Streamline Moderne style, a variant of Art Deco. The main concession stand sold JAX Beer, along with “Coney Island Hot Dogs” and other food items. The photo above shows the night lighting of the building.
Other buildings
The beach midway at night.
The Beach presented a symphony of incandescent and neon lights at night. The lights enticed park-goers to the rides and, naturally, to the food and beer. This photo shows the entrance to the “Wild Maus” coaster, a maze-like ride with many sharp turns and short, steep drops. The multi-disc light tower sits atop another concession stand and indoor arcade combination.
Abandoned Jazzland
“Pontchartrain Beach” section of the Jazzland amusement park, courtesy Abandoned New Orleans.
This photo, courtesy of Abandoned New Orleans, presents the ruins of the re-created “Pontchartrain Beach” at the Jazzland/Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans East. The park closed after incurring flooding and damage in Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
by nolahistoryguy | Dec 10, 2023 | 1980s, 1990s, Books, BOSH, Brother Martin High, Gentilly
Our tenth installment of NOLA History Guy December features Brother Nicholas, SC – Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans (BOSH)
NOLA History Guy December – Brother Nicholas Geisenberg, S.C.
Brother Nicholas, SC, was a long-time Maths teacher the BOSH Schools. I had the privilege of taking “Senior Math” with Brother as a Junior, in 1974-75. If you’re wondering how that worked, I attended Brother Martin High School as an eighth grader. My maths skills weren’t top/honors, so, I was routed to “regular” Geometry class as a ninth-grader. The honors guys took “Geometry A” with Brother Neal, SC. The “A” track finished Trigonometry in Algebra IIA, as tenth-graders. They took Calculus as eleventh-graders, and went on to UNO for Calc I as seniors. Not me! I took Trig, “Senior Math” in the old terminology. Brother Nicholas (never “Brother Nick” to his face) was a serious teacher who brooked no nonsense in his class. He objected to the number of Fridays I was away from class because of Debate and Quiz Bowl, and regularly chided me about that.
Outside of class, Brother was a nice man. He chaperoned the school trips to Europe in the summers. Brother studied German with Ms. Palmisano. I would say a few words to him, “auf Deutsch” as he left German II and I came in for German I as a sophomore.
Brother Nicholas, S. C., throwing out the first pitch at a Crusader baseball game.
As we’re doing with all our images for NOLA History Guy December, here’s the caption for the two photos of Brother Nicholas in the book:
“Brother Nick.” Brother Nicholas Geisenberg, S.C., beloved teacher of generations of St. Aloysius, Cor Jesu, and BMHS students. In addition to teaching Math, Brother Nicholas served as assistant principal at Cor Jesu in 1969. After retiring from the classroom, Brother Nicholas remained active on campus, managing the school’s bookstore and as a dedicated fan of BMHS sports, particularly baseball. Above, Brother Nicholas on duty in the bookstore in the late 1990’s. Below, the BMHS baseball team honored Brother Nicholas by asking him to throw out the first pitch of the final game of the 2003 season. (Lower photo courtesy of Mr. Danny Ford, father of Jeremy (’03) and Braeden (’09))
The Book
Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans by Edward J. Branley
From the back cover:
When New Orleanians ask “Where did you go to school?” they aren’t asking what university you attended but what high school. That tells a native a lot about you. For over 150 years, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart have educated the young men of New Orleans, giving them the opportunity to answer the question proudly by replying St. Stanislaus, St. Aloysius, Cor Jesu, or Brother Martin. Images of America: Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans showcases photographs, illustrations, and maps tracing the role of the institute in making New Orleans a vibrant and dynamic city, able to overcome even the worst of adversity. From their roots in the French Quarter, moving to Faubourg Marigny, and finally settling in Gentilly, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart continue to make a major contribution to metro New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana.
Available at local bookstores, Walgreens stores, other local shops, Bookshop, and other online outlets. Give history! Support NOLA History Guy December.
by nolahistoryguy | May 8, 2022 | 1970s, 1980s, CBD
The Sheraton Charles Hotel was the last incarnation of the venerable hotel.
Sheraton Charles Hotel
Ad for the Sheraton Charles Hotel, May 7, 1973. The Sheraton chain bought the hotel in 1965. They re-branded the property, “Sheraton-Charles,” enticing tourists with its proximity to the French Quarter:
Sheraton Gives you modern comfort in an Old World atmosphere, one block from the famous French Quarter
And check those prices! Single rooms $18-$22.
The ad shows an illustration of the third incarnation of the hotel. The summer of 1973 was its last tourist season. The owner, Louis J. Roussel, Jr., demolished the building in 1974. the location became the Place St. Charles office building in 1984.
St. Charles the third
The St. Charles Hotel’s third incarnation, 1940s
Over the decades, the ground-floor storefront shops of the St. Charles Hotel housed ticket offices for railroad and steamboat companies. While some companies operated their own services. others engaged ticket agents. These were the predecessors of travel agencies. All a traveler staying at the St. Charles had to do was go downstairs to the street, find the, say, L&N or Southern Pacific office, and make any changes necessary to their itinerary. Over time, the airlines opened ticket offices, as the railroads migrated over to Union Passenger Terminal, when it opened in 1954. The offices morphed into pick-up points over time. Travelers used the telephone to call, then come get the physical tickets when they were ready. By the time of this 1973 ad, a concierge in the hotel lobby booked travel for guests. Travel agents acquired access to airline and railroad computer systems. They booked and printed out documents for almost all carriers.
The first incarnation of the St. Charles Hotel opened in the 200 block of St. Charles Street in 1837. That building burned in 1851. The second incarnation opened in 1853. It too burned, in 1894. This building dates from 1896. So, while many New Orleanians mourned the loss of the St. Charles/Sheraton-Charles, Sheraton moved to Canal Street. Their 49-story hotel at 500 Canal Street opened in 1982.
Sheraton, as part of the Starwood Group, later merged with Mariott Hotels. So, the ownership of the two towering hotels on either side of Canal Street are essentially the same.
by nolahistoryguy | Aug 4, 2021 | 1980s, Brother Martin High, Gentilly
Summer football practice meant hot days and hard work.
Summer football practice
Practice in the backyard! Here’s Brother Neal’s caption of this photo, from the Brother Martin High School alumni publication.
Coach Bob Conlin puzzles over a problem during a hot practice. In the foreground is Assistant Coach Emile Fair. The Crusaders finished 8-2 that year, but missed the playoffs because the second-place tiebreaker went to Rummel, which beat BM 21-14 in week six after capitalizing on a fumble at the 11.
This was one of those days when the team didn’t dress out in full pads. While I can’t speak to the football practice conditions, I remember days like this when I was on the NJROTC Drill Team.
Multi-purpose activity area
Prior to the acquisition of the E. A. Farley Florist property, next to the school, all the outdoor activities, from football practice to NJROTC regimental reviews took place in the grassy area. This created scheduling challenges, as you can imagine. Football and band required space for practice in the Fall. The Drill Team usually took to the streets for marching practice, and we would go out to the parking lot at Pontchartrain Beach to work on routines. The backyard was initially large enough to fit a full-size football field.
Things improved a bit as football gave way to wrestling and basketball. While the two squads separated in the Conlin gym, basketball needed space for both varsity and JV teams. Band retreated to their space in the back of the school after football season.
More green space
After the closure of E.A. Farley florist, the school negotiated with the family to buy the land. The florist shop was a storefront facing Gentilly Blvd. The nursery area bounded Gentilly Blvd, Marigny St., Stephen Girard St., and Mandeville St. It’s now part of the campus. The school converted the northeast corner of the property into a full baseball diamond, with bleachers. It’s named E. A. Farley Field. When my younger son (Class of 2012) was in Crusader Band, they continued to practice behind the school, leaving the new space to athletic teams.
Do you have stories about summer football practice in the backyard? Please share them!
1982 athletic fashions
Brother Neal mentions the length of the shorts worn by the students and coaches. He calls them “pre-Michael Jordan” length. I prefer to think of them as “Magic-versus-Bird” length. At least they helped everyone stay cool for summer football practice.
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