The Society of Midland Authors and Chicago Public Library are pleased to present a panel discussion, Chicago's Modern Mayors, featuring Betty O'Shaughnessy, Monroe Anderson, Dennis Judd, Kari Lyderson, Daniel Bliss, moderated by Dick Simpson. The program is based on the book Chicago's Modern Mayors, edited by former Midland Authors President Dick Simpson and Betty O'Shaughnessy. The modern mayors are Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer, Richard M. Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lori Lightfoot.
Betty O’Shaughnessy is a former adjunct professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Oakton Community College. She also served as an elected trustee and is a Democratic precinct committeeperson for West Deerfield Township. With Dick Simpson, Betty co-authored Winning Elections in the 21st Century, and has written articles on student involvement in political participation (both at the secondary and higher education levels) and service learning. Her research interests are conflicts of authority among national, state and local governments, political education, and campaigns and elections. She is a political and community activist.
Monroe Anderson is an award-winning journalist and former press secretary to Mayor Eugene Sawyer. Anderson has worked as a reporter at the National Observer, as assistant editor of Ebony magazine, and as a correspondent for Newsweek magazine prior to joining the Chicago Tribune. In the late 1980s, Anderson served as press secretary for Mayor Eugene Sawyer. Anderson taught feature writing at Columbia College Chicago, and was director of station services and community affairs at WBBM, where he was also host and executive producer of the public affairs television show, Common Ground. Anderson is one of the co-authors of the nonfiction book Brothers and a contributing author to Restoration 1989. Anderson was named editor of N’DIGO, a black community newspaper, and in 2003, he became the editor of SaVoy magazine and presently contributes to the Huffington Post.
Dennis Judd has been a leading contributor to the literature on urban political economy, urban economic development, national urban policy, and urban revitalization. He brings this research together in his leading textbook in urban politics, City Politics: Private Power and Public Policy. He has published pioneering research on urban tourism, including co-editing The Tourist City (with Susan S. Fainstein), a book that described the global competition for tourism by cities. He has also written The Infrastructure of Play, Globalization and the New Politics of Urban Development and Cities and Visitors: Regulating Cities, Markets, and City Space. His book The City, Revisited (co-edited with Dick Simpson) offers a unique perspective on the theories used to the study the city over the past century. He has a forthcoming publication on the building of a tourist economy in Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Rise of Chicago’s City of Spectacle (with Costas Spirou).
Kari Lydersen is a Chicago-based journalist, author and assistant professor at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. She published Mayor 1% on Haymarket Books in 2013. She previously was a staff writer for The Washington Post and her work has appeared in outlets including The New York Times, The Guardian and In These Times.
Daniel Bliss is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the Illinois Institute of Technology. He has written on economic development policy and state and local government, specifically, the effects of redistricting and gerrymandering on local government. Besides economic development, his research interests include state and local government, public administration, and institutions and governance. Besides several academic articles, he is author of Economic Development and Governance in Small Town America: Paths to Growth. In 2011 he won the American Political Science Association award for Best Dissertation in Urban Politics.
Dick W. Simpson has uniquely combined a distinguished academic career with public service in government, beginning his academic career at the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1967, where he has taught for 55 years. He has been the principal researcher on important studies that have led to reform in many units of government in Cook County, Illinois. Simpson has published numerous studies on elections, voting patterns of elected officials, local government, public policy, and government budgeting. He is also author or co-author of more than 25 books on political action, ethics, and politics, including Democracy's Rebirth, Winning Elections in the 21st Century (with Betty O’Shaughnessy), The Politics of Compassion and Transformation, Twenty-first Century Chicago (with co-authors), and Rogues, Rebels, and Rubber Stamps. In the public service arena, Simpson surprised political observers when he won election as Chicago's 44th Ward Alderman in his first campaign for political office in 1971, despite a well-financed opponent with an army of precinct captains. As Alderman, Simpson consistently voted for and introduced reform and legislation and served as alderman for two terms before voluntarily retiring in 1979. In 1992 and 1994, Dick Simpson ran for Congress in Illinois' 5th Congressional District opposing Congressman Dan Rostenkowski on a platform of congressional reform, women's rights, universal health care, economic recovery, and senior citizen's issues. Simpson served on transition teams that advised Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne in 1979, Mayor Harold Washington in 1983, and Mayor Lori Lightfoot in 2019, helping shape their positions on ethics, fair hiring practices, citizen participation, and efficient, local government. In 2022, he received the Distinguished Teaching Award from the American Political Science Association.
This event is co-presented with The Society of Midland Authors, an association of authors from the Middle West.
How to Attend - In Person:
Doors to the Winter Garden open at 5:30 p.m., and seating is first come, first served (350 capacity). Books are available for purchase, and the authors will autograph books at the conclusion of the program.
Masks are strongly encouraged in all CPL locations. Questions about visiting the library? Check out our Using the Library FAQ.
How to Attend - Virtual:
This event will also take place live on CPL's YouTube channel and CPL's Facebook page. You'll be able to ask questions during the event as well! Can't make it to the live stream? We'll archive the video on YouTube to watch later.
Accessibility
Automatic captioning is available via Facebook and YouTube's closed captioning setting. Need sign language interpretation or other accessibility assistance for this event? Please call (312) 747-8184 or email access@chipublib.org to request accommodations. Requests must be made at least 14 business days before the event.