Urban League Mourns Passing Of Dr. James Bobo

NEW YORK – The nation has lost a powerful and thoughtful voice on urban economic reform with the passing of Dr. James Bobo, said National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial.

“Both I and my father, Dutch Morial, who became Mayor of New Orleans three years after Dr. Bobo’s landmark study of the city was published, were profoundly influenced by his work,” Morial said. “More than 30 years later, his insights on the challenges facing New Orleans still resonate.”

Ernest “Dutch” Morial served as Mayor from 1978 to 1986, and his son, Marc Morial, served as Mayor from 1994 to 2002. Dr. Bobo’s signature work, The New Orleans Economy: Pro Bono Publico, was published in 1975. Bobo taught economics at the University of New Orleans and later served as Dean of the Graduate School.

“Our prayers are with the family of Dr. Bobo,” Morial said. “I was grateful for the opportunity to know him and that he was able to share his gifts with the great city I love.”