The Civic Spark Behind JA New Orleans
Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans began with a simple question: “What happens when one visionary decides to invest in the future of young people in his community? “
Percival Stern gave us the answer.
An engineer by training, a business and civic leader by vocation, and a philanthropist whose generosity still powers JA today, Percival Stern and fellow civic dynamo Marion “Hoss” Kessler officially brought JA to New Orleans in 1955, signing the incorporation papers in the Whitney Bank boardroom and kicking off a movement that’s been inspiring young people across our region ever since. Leading up to that official birth of JA of Greater New Orleans, Stern worked tirelessly to bring JA to our region, meeting with JA USA representatives, piloting programs in New Orleans as early as the 1940s, and building a coalition of like-minded civic leaders together to build the foundation for an organization that has now served close to 1 million youth.
As student companies flourished, JA needed a home of its own. Stern didn’t hesitate. In 1960, he purchased the building at 218 Camp Street for $160,000 and donated it outright to JA. By 1961, teens were gathering there nightly to form companies, pitch products, and learn by doing. A few years later, after renovations funded by friends and family, the facility was rededicated as the Stern-Hyams Junior Achievement Center, a true downtown hub of youth entrepreneurship.
Who was the man behind these bold moves?
Born January 31, 1880, in Amite, Louisiana, and later a lifelong New Orleanian, Stern earned his Bachelor of Engineering from Tulane University (Class of 1899) before building a career that blended business savvy with public-spirited leadership. Stern’s civic resume stretched well beyond JA. He served on the early board of the International Trade Mart—the institution that helped cement New Orleans as a global trading hub—and worked alongside many of the city’s most influential commerce leaders to grow international business here at home. In recognition of a lifetime of service, he received The Times-Picayune Loving Cup in 1963, one of the city’s highest honors for civic leadership.
His philanthropy touched countless New Orleanians. Stern was a benefactor of Tulane and Loyola universities, Isidore Newman School, and Touro Infirmary—institutions that remain cornerstones of our community’s health, education, and opportunity. Tulane later named Percival Stern Hall in his honor, a lasting tribute to an alumnus who believed deeply in science, learning, and the next generation.
And the legacy continues.
Through the Percival Stern Family Foundation, his family has continued backing causes that elevate young people—including ongoing support for Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans. It’s a beautiful through-line: the founder who gave JA its start, and the family who still fuels the mission he loved.
Today, as JA students across Greater New Orleans explore careers, launch ideas and practice real-world financial skills, we pause to say thank you to Percival Stern (1880–1970) for his vision and action, and to the generations of the Stern family who have kept that vision bright. Our region’s young people are braver, bolder, and better prepared because of you.