{"product_id":"the-accidental-mayor-9781514253144","title":"The Accidental Mayor","description":"This engaging narrative by a former mayor offers a rare inside look at the workings of city government under the strong-mayor system . . . the politics and personalities that shaped the growth of her town in a crucial period of its history. This book tells how Tomilea Allison accidentally became mayor of a small university town in southern Indiana. Shown a draft of the book, a resident, already familiar with part of the history, said she could hardly wait to see the next chapter. How would it all turn out? A professor called it an invaluable source for students of public and environmental affairs. In 1963 Tomilea Allison, a native Californian, was newly arrived in Bloomington, Indiana, as a faculty wife (her husband, James, was a professor in Indiana University's department of psychology) with two young daughters. A few years later she found herself in charge of Senator Eugene McCarthy's Monroe County primary campaign for president of the United States. In 1977 she was asked to fill a vacancy on the city council. In 1983, after the sitting mayor was elected to Congress, she was chosen to take his place and served for thirteen years.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Createspace Independent Publishing Platform","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50854018875666,"sku":"9781514253144","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_8e46e380-c7c0-4809-8d8b-fe849a3cf69e.jpg?v=1737457647","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/the-accidental-mayor-9781514253144","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}