Lindsay, John Vliet (1921-2000), served as mayor of New York City from 1966 through 1973. In 1965, he scored an upset victory in the heavily Democratic city by defeating the Democratic and Conservative party candidates as the nominee of the Republican and Liberal parties. Lindsay’s first term was marked by unrest and strikes in New York City’s schools, transit system, and other public services. In 1969, Lindsay was defeated for renomination in the Republican primary election. However, he ran as the candidate of the Liberal and Independent parties, and he was reelected mayor.
Lindsay was born on Nov. 24, 1921, in New York City. He graduated from Yale University and the Yale Law School. From 1955 to 1957, he served as executive assistant to the U.S. attorney general. In 1958, he won the first of four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he strongly supported civil rights legislation. In 1964, he refused to support conservative Senator Barry M. Goldwater, the Republican presidential nominee. In 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson appointed Lindsay vice chairman of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders (Kerner Commission). The committee studied the causes of the riots in U.S. cities during the mid-1960’s.
In August 1971, Lindsay changed his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. He was a candidate for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination but withdrew when he failed to gain support in the primaries. Lindsay died on Dec. 19, 2000.
