Ellis Louis Marsalis Sr. (April 16, 1908 - September 19, 2004) was an American businessman from New Orleans, Louisiana. Marsalis was a former poultry farmer and jazz musician turned hotelier and civil rights activist.
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Marsalis was born in Summit, Mississippi to Rosa (née Gayden) and Simmie Marsalis.[1] He was the patriarch of the renowned Marsalis musical family that includes his son, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., and his grandsons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, Mboya, and Jason. Marsalis was never a musician of any kind, but was fond of Mississippi Delta Blues.
Marsalis came to New Orleans in 1927, at age 17, and worked for the Duplain Rhodes Funeral Home as a horse-drawn hearse driver. During World War II, he did welding and built batteries to aid the war effort.
In 1943, Ellis Marsalis converted a barn on the shore of the Mississippi River into the Marsalis Motel. It catered to African-Americans, who were not allowed to stay at "whites only" New Orleans establishments under Jim Crow - the South’s segregation laws. The hotel and restaurant quickly became famous, attracting prominent musicians and some of the most influential civil rights leaders of the day, including Martin Luther King, Jr., Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Thurgood Marshall.
Marsalis was the first Black businessman to obtain an ESSO (now Exxon) franchise in the state of Louisiana, co-owning (with William Wicker) and operating an Esso Service Station on the corner of what is now Claiborne and Louisiana Avenues. He was also the first Black businessman to own a successful business in Jefferson Parish (Metairie/Shrewsbury), Louisiana. He was a lifelong member of the Republican Party, and served as a Delegate to The Republican Convention of 1964. He also played a role in the election of David Treen as governor of Louisiana in 1982.
Marsalis was instrumental in the voter registration of Black residents of Jefferson Parish from 1951 to 1966. He also helped finance the education of Ernest Nathan Morial ("Dutch"), who was the first Black student to attend the Louisiana State University Law School, and who became the first Black mayor of the City of New Orleans. Marsalis also played a role in the election of Judge Lionel Collins, the first Black Judge of the 24th Judicial District Court, in Gretna, Louisiana.
Ironically, the achievements of the Civil Rights Movement led to a decline in trade at the Marsalis Motel when all establishments were opened to all people regardless of colour. Marsalis's Mansion (Motel) closed September 25, 1986, and was demolished in July, 1993. The property was sold in July 2006.
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