Claus Sadlier, President & CEO of the New Orleans Storyville Museum

The New Orleans Storyville Museum is the passion project of its founder and CEO, Claus Sadlier, a sixth-generation New Orleanian and French Quarter resident. Claus graduated from Brother Martin High School and the University of New Orleans before earning his MBA from Indiana University.

He then moved to San Francisco in the early 1990s, where he launched a successful business career. He is best known for inventing and commercializing the world’s first insulated paper coffee cup, which he built into a national brand and ultimately sold to Dixie Cup for $170 million. Although he enjoyed his time in San Francisco, Claus’s heart was always in New Orleans, and he returned to his roots in 2013, making his residence in the French Quarter.

It was at this time that he devoted several years to researching and developing the historical narrative for the Storyville Museum, while also studying innovations in museum design by visiting highly ranked institutions around the world. With a plan in place, he began collecting artifacts, found an ideal building in the French Quarter—just two blocks from the historic Storyville district—and assembled a team of local professionals to bring the museum’s vision to life.

The New Orleans Storyville Museum opened its doors to the public in August 2024.

Summary of Talk

The Story Behind Storyville: How New Orleans Became America’s Original Sin City

Claus Sadlier will discuss how the unique history of New Orleans led to the creation of America’s largest, most ostentatious, and notorious red-light district, known as Storyville and its legacy. 

Claus will also give an inside look at how he went about creating and opening the New Orleans Storyville Museum — from uncovering the stories to collecting the artifacts and designing the exhibits that bring this fascinating chapter of New Orleans history to life.