Generous Gift Leads to Naming of Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans: Archie Manning calls it ‘our family’s finest hour’
OXFORD, Miss. — Earlier this week, Children’s Hospital New Orleans announced it is being renamed the Manning Family Children’s Hospital after a “transformational gift” from Archie and Olivia Manning and their sons Cooper, Peyton, and Eli.
The pediatric hospital, part of LCMC Health, said the rebranding reflects a “transformational partnership” with the Manning Family. According to the system, the new partnership will expand healthcare services for children across Louisiana and the Gulf South. The new name comes as the pediatric system celebrates its 70th anniversary this year.
Children’s Hospital has a new name, Manning Family Children’s.
The Manning family is synonymous with the city of New Orleans, and now that continues with a hospital in their name. pic.twitter.com/enDvOTX99B
— Garland Gillen (@garlandgillen) February 6, 2025
“The Manning Family’s transformational commitment underscores their belief in this mission, inspiring us to continue delivering excellence in health care, and to transform pediatric health outcomes – together,” Greg Feirn, CEO of LCMC Health, said in a statement.
“Our family has always believed in the importance of giving back to the community that has given so much to us,” Archie Manning said.
“Renaming Children’s Hospital New Orleans to Manning Family Children’s is a symbol of our shared commitment to providing children with the best possible care and support, right here at home, and for generations to come.”
Archie Manning
The announcement came during a week of celebrations in New Orleans, which is hosting the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Manning Family Children’s operates a 263-bed hospital in New Orleans, along with outpatient facilities across Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
“It’s very hard to put into words, I mean, to have a hospital named after you,” Archie Manning said. “This is not like making Second Team All-SEC or anything like that. We have such admiration for this hospital, the people, and the leadership. To do this for our family, it’s one of the greatest things to have ever happened in my life.”
Family tradtion
This is not the first time the Manning family has directed its attention and donations to helping children. Eli and Peyton also have been integral parts of two additional children’s hospitals. St. Vincent Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis was renamed Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent in 2007. The Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital is a full-service pediatric hospital dedicated to the needs of children and families. Later, Eli and his wife Abby Manning pledged more than $2.5 million in partnership with Friends of Children’s Hospital to open the Eli Manning Children’s Clinics at Batson Children’s Hospital. The clinics opened in 2009. In 2016, Eli Manning and Abby pledged another $1 million to the Children’s of Mississippi capital campaign.
Helping children is near and dear to Archie Manning, and his sons’ contributions are incredibly meaningful to the patriarch of the family.
“I told my sons that no matter what they did on the football field or elsewhere in their lives, the naming of those hospitals in Indianapolis and Mississippi were their finest hour. I feel this is our family’s finest hour. Nothing else matches this.”
Archie Manning on the naming of the children’s hospitals
(Feature image: Dr. Fabienne Gray (far left),a pediatric surgeon, and Archie Manning are pictured with young patients at what has been renamed the Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Credit: Manning Family Children’s Hospital)
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
