John V Lindsay

John V. Lindsay was the Mayor of New York City from 1966 to 1973. John Vliet Lindsay was born November 24, 1921, in New York City. Lindsay received a bachelor of arts degree from Yale University in 1944 before joining the Navy at the tail end of World War II. Upon returning from service, Lindsay went back to Yale, receiving his Legum Baccalaureus in 1948. He began practicing law in New York City in 1949. He also married his wife Mary Ann Lindsay (née Harrison) that year, with whom he would raise 4 children. Lindsay’s career in politics began in earnest when he became executive assistant to the United States Attorney General in 1955. During his time in the Justice Department, Lindsay served as an intermediary with the White House and worked with the Eisenhower Administration in drafting legislation. In 1958 he was elected to the 86th Congress as representative of the 17th district of New York (Manhattan’s Upper East Side) in the United States House of Representatives. He served as a Congressman as Republican through 1965, though his record frequently indicated a more liberal outlook on the role of government. In 1966 he was elected mayor of New York City, and was immediately hit with a transit strike which crippled the city for 12 days. The struggle was just the beginning of Lindsay’s labor woes as he struggled with increased demands for higher municipal wages throughout his time as mayor, an issue which never seemed to find a satisfying resolution. In 1967 he served as Vice Chairman for the National Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission) at the behest of President Lyndon Johnson, who no doubt noticed Lindsay's genuine concern for the needs of inner city citizens. In 1969 he switched political parties, losing the Republican Party’s support in the primary elections after a protracted mutual estrangement, leaving the GOP for the Liberal Party. In 1971 he switched again, this time joining the Democrats for a failed effort for the presidency. His time as New York City Mayor ended in 1973 after he declined to pursue another term. Lindsay returned to private practice in 1973, and served as an occasional contributor to Good Morning America for the American Broadcast Company. He would also serve as chairman for the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts from 1984 to 1988. In 1999 he moved to Hilton Head, SC with his wife Mary. He died in 2000.