Page 1 of 3
Regular Session, 2012 ENROLLED
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 44
BY SENATORS MORRELL, ADLEY, ALARIO, ALLAIN, AMEDEE, APPEL,
BROOME, BROWN, BUFFI NGTON, CHABERT, CL AITOR,
CORTEZ, CROWE, DONAHUE, DORSEY-COLOMB, ERDEY,
GALLOT, GUILLORY, HEITMEIER, JOHNS, KOSTELKA,
LAFLEUR, LONG, MARTINY, MILLS, MORRISH, MURRAY,
NEVERS, PEACOCK, PERRY, PETERSON, RISER, GARY SMITH,
JOHN SMITH, TARVER, THOMPSON, WALSWORTH, WARD AND
WHITE AND REPRESENTATIVE BROSSETT
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend and congratulate Ashton Phelps Jr. upon his retirement as publisher of the
New Orleans Times-Picayune and as president of The Times-Picayune Publishing
Corporation and for his many contributions made to the state of Louisiana.
WHEREAS, it is altogether fitting and proper that the Legislature of Louisiana
acknowledges Mr. Phelps' thirty-three years of superb leadership and outstanding journalism
while at the helm of The Times-Picayune, a publication with local, national, and
international circulation; and
WHEREAS, since 1979, Ashton Phelps has been at the top rung of the publishing
giant and during its 175 year history, his family has been associated with the newspaper for
five generations; his great-grandfather and father were also publishers with the paper; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Phelps attributes the success of this daily publication to the loyalty
of its readership, its advertisers, its faithful, talented, and capable employees, and the
steadfast support of its owners, the Newhouse family; and
WHEREAS, as publisher, Ashton Phelps adopted new strategies that changed its
focus and operation to better reflect the demands of a diverse metropolitan landscape, with
the expansion of Internet access and digital media, such as NOLA.com, to keep pace in the
challenging realm of telecommunications; and
WHEREAS, he expanded all of the bureaus to enhance the individuality of the local
news in suburban centers, such as Algiers, New Orleans East, Harahan, Gretna, Kenner,
Lakefront, Marrero, Metairie, Midtown, Uptown, Westwego, the River Parishes, St. Bernard,
and north of Lake Pontchartrain to include Covington, Mandeville, and Slidell; and
WHEREAS, his creativity and dedication have resulted in a constant Number One
national ranking among publications in its market demographic; and SCR NO. 44 ENROLLED
Page 2 of 3
WHEREAS, in 1992, at his alma mater, Tulane University Law School, the Phelps
Lecture Series was established to honor the legacy of his father, Ashton Phelps Sr. and
remains dedicated to the application and preservation of First Amendment rights and related
fields of constitutional law; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure, The Times-Picayune garnered four Pulitzer Prizes,
in 1997, one Pulitzer for "Oceans of Trouble", an analysis of the threatened global fish
supply and a second for editorial cartooning; in 2005, receipt of a Pulitzer for news coverage
during Hurricane Katrina, plus the George Polk Award for Metropolitan Reporting, as well
as two more Pulitzer Prizes in 2006; and
WHEREAS, for over three decades, Ashton Phelps has handled high-profile stories
and editorial topics with quiet aplomb; however, Mr. Phelps, The Times-Picayune, and the
city of New Orleans itself, will forever be defined by the events of August 2005, and the
aftermath that continues to this day, when Hurricane Katrina knocked the city to its knees;
and
WHEREAS, Ashton Phelps, along with reporters and employees, remained in place
for forty-eight hours to capture many of the historic details in images and print and to
continue to report the news during this catastrophe, a precious touchstone for a region in
perilous straits; evacuated to Baton Rouge in the back of delivery trucks, The
Times-Picayune personnel maintained a continuous stream of vital information, either via
Internet or publications temporarily printed in Baton Rouge, until six weeks later, when the
Howard Avenue presses rolled again; Times-Picayune was one of the first businesses to
resume operations; and
WHEREAS, the population of the city of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana
owe a debt of gratitude to Ashton Phelps for his years of leadership as publisher of the
New Orleans Times-Picayune, for his many contributions to the betterment of this state, and
his continued efforts to preserve America's First Amendment rights of freedom of speech
and of the press.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend and congratulate Ashton Phelps Jr. upon his retirement as publisher of the
New Orleans Times-Picayune and as president of The Times-Picayune Publishing SCR NO. 44 ENROLLED
Page 3 of 3
Corporation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby wish
for him continued success in his future endeavors.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to
Ashton Phelps Jr.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES