The Hudnut years in Indianapolis, 1976-1991

the long version

In this book the former Mayor tells the story of his sixteen years as the head of Indianapolis, the problems he faced, how he perceived them, how the city organized to meet them, and where he succeeded and where he failed. Anyone interested in these important years in the history of Indianapolis will be fascinated by this book, as will students of urban government generally. In addition to presenting his own account, Hudnut has asked scholars to offer their assessment of his administration's performance in a number of key areas: fiscal health, the amateur-sports strategy, neighborhoods and their relationship to UNIGOV, the police department, the politics of health, education, the urban environment, and affirmative action. A group of citizen activists and political opponents were also asked to comment on the Hudnut years. In a final chapter, Hudnut offers a summary of the lessons he learned about the role of a mayor and the problems of urban governments.