John V. Lindsay

Former mayor of New York City during the turbulent 1960s. He was a staunch supporter of the Civil Rights Bill even when it was an unpopular stance during his Congressional years in the 1950s and early 1960s. When cities burned following the murder of Martin Luther King, New York City was the exception because of the trusting relationship Mayor Lindsay had built with the city's African American community. He is credited with opening up more opportunities for minorities than any other mayor in New York City history. This was at the expense of alienating many members of the white middle class. He chose to leave the mayoralty after two terms to return to private law practice. He had been in public service for 16-years, since 1957 when he went to work for the Department of Justice under Eisenhower and Attorney General Herbert Brownell.