Edward Wisner was a philanthropist, newspaper editor, real estate developer, and entrepreneur from Michigan who made most of his fortune from the banking and lumber industries. He arrived in New Orleans around 1900 and quickly acquired over 1 million acres of seemingly "undesirable" marshland along the coast of Louisiana with the goal of developing the area for both residential and agricultural purposes. In 1914, Wisner donated 52,000 acres of land in the form of a trust to four beneficiaries: the City of New Orleans, the Salvation Army, Charity Hospital, and Tulane University. The Edward Wisner Donation was created as a 100 year charitable trust to support local efforts of beautification, education, recreation, and human services.

Edward Wisner passed away in 1915. Several years later, his widow and daughters filed suit to have the Wisner donation annulled. In 1929, the Wisner heirs and the beneficiaries came to a compromise which recognized the Wisner heirs as a fifth beneficiary, divided the trust among the five beneficiaries, and created an advisory committee to oversee the trust. The Wisner Trust is administered by the Mayor of New Orleans and the Edward Wisner Donation Advisory Committee. The 100 year trust was set to expire in 2014; however, as of 2020 it has been extended into perpetuity.

The Edward Wisner Donation records were transferred to the City Archives in August of 2016. They consist primarily of correspondence, grant applications, and City of New Orleans disbursement information. Records were kept in the order in which they were received. For additional information about the Wisner Donation, ask the archivist about materials housed in the City Documents collection such as annual reports and the Wisner Advisory Committee meeting minutes.