Welcome to the New Orleans Branch of the ESU

Welcome Message

Welcome to the webpage of The English-Speaking Union US, New Orleans Branch! We've been an active Branch for more than 30 years, and have over 100 current memberships, including singles, couples, and the largest number of National Patrons of any ESUUS Branch. 

 Fortunately, we can return to a full schedule of in-person events September through June plus being supplemented in 2021-2022 by the highly successful and interesting virtual ESUUS Happy Hour programs series organized by ESUUS Branches nationwide in 2020-2021 and broadcast monthly by ESUUS headquarters in New York City. 

New Orleans Branch played a kickoff role to this program thanks to Membership and Media Chair Julie Jardine being on the national planning committee and pivoting to provide the first virtual speaker, Robin B. Williams, Ph.D., who had been scheduled for an in-person presentation to the New Orleans Branch on Regency and Gothic Revival Architecture. Branch member and Founder of the National Food and Beverage Foundation, Liz Williams, provided another virtual program for the series about Creole Food: America's Oldest Cuisine.

Members being vaccinated, local and national venues and travel reopening and resuming in late 2021 - 2022 have allowed us to resume our in-person events which included 2021 Christmas Tea at The Windsor Court Hotel, our regional National Shakespeare Competition in early March, a rescheduling of the Topsy-Turvy film in a private theater in late March, Degas Gallery opening of English Bluebell paintings of Lorraine Villere in early April, hosting Wrench Speaker Ed Larson in late April at Ralph's On The Park, and The Queen's Birthday Brunch in her Platinum Jubilee year at the New Orleans Country Club on June 12, 2022.

Our regional National Shakespeare Competition was held in-person on March 6, 2022. Almost a dozen students from SE area Louisiana high schools competed delivering excellent performances – not one called for "a line"! – making it a challenge for our expert judges. First and second place winners were Jacob Simmons and Savannah Kuntz, respectively, of Covington High School, students of Gary Mendoza, a 2016 BUSS (TLab) scholar to The Globe Theatre, London. Third place went to both Aniya Fields and Julia Bannon of Lusher Charter School and Kenner Discovery High School, respectively.

Our 2020 teacher's summer scholarship (TLab), which was awarded to Kara Jacobi, English professor at Sacred Heart, New Orleans, was once again postponed to the summer of 2022 because of the Covid-19 travel restrictions in the UK. Kara had chosen the Oxford University, UK, program, and luckily, has been able to accommodate this deferment in her schedule. 

We hope that you enjoy the information on this webpage and will join or renew your membership via the tab available here. Your support enables us to continue our Mission of giving local students and teachers scholarships that enrich their lives, broaden their learning experiences and make them better educators.

Wishing you good health, and cheers!

David

F David Grissett, President

ESUUS New Orleans Branch, LLC

Region VII Representative

dgrissett@esuus.org

504.220.6445

Return to News & Events