He was born Peter A. Mayer. But around here, we call him Pete. Most recognize him as the guy whose name is on the building. But those in the know will tell you there’s a lot more to his story than that.

Pete was born near Mannheim, Germany in 1929. When he was just six years old, he and his family fled the country to escape from Nazi rule. While many German emigrants were heading to Europe, Pete and his family had something different in mind – New Orleans. Their distant relatives owned a sock factory in the city and were willing to sponsor the family, which was a requirement at the time.

Like most new arrivals, they spoke no English. But not ones to let a little thing like a language barrier get in their way, they got right to work. Pete’s grandmother supported the family at first, baking in the family kitchen and selling what she made to hungry locals. Eventually Pete’s grandfather learned enough English to find a job as a travelling salesman, selling women’s clothing to mostly Jewish retailers in the Deep South. And while his family was hard at work, Pete was too, enrolling in school, first at Henry W. Allen School then at Alcee Fortier High School. It was there he mastered English, learning it so well he was able to act as interpreter for his family while they developed their skills.

Always ahead of the curve, Pete graduated early from high school and enrolled at the University of Missouri at just 16 years old. He studied journalism, and after graduation returned to New Orleans to work for the States-Item, an afternoon newspaper that would eventually become the Times-Picayune. With a few years of journalism under his belt he began to think about a career change. A new technology called television was gaining popularity, and Pete wanted to be a part of it. He found a position at Walker Saussy – a local advertising agency willing to give a young kid a shot at learning a new trade. There, he honed his skills and began to make a name for himself in the industry. By 1967 he was ready to strike out on his own. With just three employees and the same number of accounts, Pete opened the doors to Peter A. Mayer Advertising.

The rest, as they say, is history.