Class News

’64 classmates remember their favorite Mardi Gras experiences

February 23, 2022

With Mardi Gras in New Orleans approaching on March 1, Pat Caviness, Tony Lavely, and Jim Rogers remember their favorite Mardi Gras experiences. Send your favorite Mardi Gras story to Tony.

Tony Lavely wrote:

My wife Wanda and our two single children were with us on Bourbon Street in 2005, a few months before Katrina blew us out of town. We had a great time. BTW, that’s not me with the Hooter Meter!

Here’s a photo of Jim Rogers in front of the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club. Jim wrote:

When I joined the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club in New Orleans, I was the only white member, but I know there have been a few more added since then.

Pat Caviness, who got his DrPH at Tulane Medical Center, wrote: “Going to Tulane was my personal journey to fulfill a promise to myself to obtain my doctoral degree at some point in my life (I got my Masters in Business at Wharton). I wanted to reorient my career away from investment banking and apply my expertise in banking to the medical field.” Later, Pat wrote:

John Bowen was at Mardi Gras many years, but he was class of '63 and a Whiffenpoof. You remember he was King of Mardi Gras one year. For me, the best part of Mardi Gras wasn't all the elaborate parades, though for all of those who worked on the crew floats for a whole year, the parades were the grand finale and payoff of everything that went into the extensive planning and building. For me, the amazing parties and dinners around Mardi Gras were the pièce de résistance

One thing you can say about New Orleanians, is they damn sure know how to party! I can't think of any of our classmates other than Jimmy Rogers who came to Mardi Gras while I was there.