Meet the Director
Mr. Zeb Mayhew Jr.’s relationship with Oak Alley precedes his tenure as Director by decades. Great-nephew to Josephine Stewart, he spent vacations at the plantation and considered Louisiana his second home, attending Tulane for his B. A and Graduate Studies.
Since 1976 when he first accepted the position of Director, Zeb has overseen the growth of the Foundation from a Mission Statement and no endowment to a fully developed Historic Site that welcomed its 6 Millionth visitor in 2018. Under his guidance, the historic site has extended beyond a guided tour of a historic home to a full experience, offering visitors an opportunity to explore all aspects of its history; the Site is listed on the U.S National Register of Historic Places and as a U.S National Historic Landmark, and established a Department dedicated to furthering research and interpretation. In addition to bringing sustainability and vision to the Foundation, Zeb has also sought ways to develop the River Region as a whole, looking beyond Oak Alley and searching for opportunities for the area to unite and celebrate our shared cultural resources, sites, and landmarks, preserving and interpreting them for an ever-growing public.
His motto has always been:
“Hold Fast To That Which Is Good”