HNOC in the News

WWL Radio: Daniel Hammer Discusses Pope Leo XIV and Upcoming Exhibitions

June 2, 2025

HNOC’s president and CEO went on the Newell Normand Show to talk about the organization’s role in discovering the ancestry of the new pope and much more.

“Besides our museum . . . . we have a large staff who provide the community with access to our collections for research, and who themselves are expert researchers. Jari Honora is a certified geneaologist, one of only five in the state of Louisiana, and he is a specialist in family histories—especially within the Creole community here in New Orleans.”

Daniel Hammer, HNOC president and CEO

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Genealogy Resources

Our experts at the Williams Research Center are available to help you dive into your family history.

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People reading and working at tables in a spacious, well-lit library with high ceilings. Theres a mezzanine level with bookshelves and more seating. Large windows, elegant chandeliers, and a patterned carpet add to the classic ambiance.

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Ursuline Music Manuscript

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Dr. Louis Charles Roudanez Papers

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Michael P. Smith Collection

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Related News

Announcement

New Orleans Jazz Museum to Screen Award-Winning Documentary Made with HNOC Support

March 17, 2026

“What We Can Know About Edmond and Basile” was named 2026 Humanity Documentary of the Year by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

A screen capture of HNOC historian Jari Honora appearing on CBS Mornings.

HNOC in the News

CBS Mornings: What to Know about Pope Leo XIV’s Ancestry

May 27, 2025

It was recently revealed that new pope has Louisiana Creole ancestry. Jari Honora, a family historian at the Historic New Orleans Collection, made the discovery and joined “CBS Mornings Plus” to explain.