History Talk! “Building the Suburbs: A History of Mid 20th-Century Jefferson Parish”

Charles Chamberlain III, PhD, a professor of history at the University of New Orleans concentrating on Louisiana studies and music history, will give a presentation titled “Building the Suburbs: A History of Mid 20th-Century Jefferson Parish,” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 1, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. 

This event is free of charge and open to the public. There is no registration. 

“In the postwar years, the rural environment of Jefferson Parish on both the East Bank and the West Bank underwent tremendous change with the growth of suburban development,” Dr. Chamberlain says. “With a boom in car sales and low-interest mortgages available through the federal G.I. Bill, subdivisions for returning World War II soldiers and their families appeared on former pastureland and with them came new shopping centers, restaurants, schools and libraries. Roads were paved and widened, and the arrival of Interstate 10 and the Causeway became major catalysts for commerce and residential growth.”

Dr. Charles Chamberlain received his doctoral degree in U.S. History from Tulane University in 1999, and his upcoming book New Orleans (LSU Press, 2025) covers the complete history of the city and environs. Chamberlain has worked as a museum professional, curator, and consultant on numerous exhibits throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. Since 2014, Dr. Chamberlain has served as a licensed tour guide for the City of New Orleans, and he specializes in developing and presenting cultural tourism globally. As an active musician, he performs a variety of styles encompassing jazz, blues, American roots, and traditional French music.

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.