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 have returned to a full schedule of in-person events September through June plus being supplemented monthly by the highly successful and interesting virtual ESUUS Happy Hour programs series organized by ESUUS Branches nationwide and broadcast monthly by ESUUS headquarters in New York City. 

New Orleans Branch played a kickoff role to this program, with its origins during the initial COVD period, 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. Also, Jeopardy contender, Penn State professor and Moby Dick expert Hester Bloom was another fascinating Happy Hour speaker sponsored by our Branch.

The wonderful Wrench Speaker series has resumed such that Professor James Raven of Cambridge University, UK and London based author Flora Fraser visited us in 2023 with programs on their recent books The Origin of The Book and Flora Macdonald: Pretty Young Rebel respectively. 

Our Annual Christmas Tea was held at the seasonally elegant Windsor Court Hotel on December 17.

Coronation celebrations honoring King Charles III were held at the summer home of Chairman Dr. E, Quinn Peeper and Michael Harold as well as the Pass Christian Yacht Club on May 6 and at a King's Birthday Brunch at the New Orleans Country Club on June 11,2023.

Our regional National Shakespeare Competition will be held on March 3, 2024.The March 2023 winners were First place, Jacob West of Covington High School, student of Gary Mendoza, a 2016 BUSS (TLab) scholar to The Globe Theatre, London. Second place went to Ronan Newberry of the Willow School, and Third place went to Julia Bannon of Kenner Discovery High School.

Our Board has authorized another TLab scholarship for a local teacher for summer 2024, so will receive applications soon!

We hope that you enjoy the information on this webpage and will join or renew your membership via the Membership 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

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