Acknowledgments

No single group was as important in my efforts to build white and black coalitions and politicize the poor as were the clergymen of Cleveland. The black clergy were almost solid to a man. But there was outstanding cooperation from some white clergy. They cannot all be named, but some should because of their being representative: Reverend Thomas McCray of the black Methodist groups; Reverend A. M. Pennybacker of the white suburban ministry; Reverend Don Benedict and the late Paul Younger of the Inner City Protestant parish; mostly young white clergy working with the Puerto Rican and Appalachian poor; Reverend Donald Jacobs and the Protestant Council of Churches; Reverends E. Branch and E. T. Caviness of the black Baptist Ministerial Alliance, whom I also thank for bringing me the later Reverend Arthur Le Mon, who became one of my closest administrative assistants.

Special thanks must go to William O. Walker, Publisher and Editor of the Call & Post newspaper who for years advised and guided me and was the voice of the black community's hopes aspirations and, necessarily, its only source of adequate response to the white media.

My recollection of events has depended heavily upon the meticulously kept records of Shirley A. Mitrovich, who was my secretary while I was mayor, and John Little and Richard Murway.

There are some news reporters whom I thank for their toughbut honest reporting that made them a credit to professional journalism. Among them are Norman Mlachak and Don Robertson of the Cleveland Press, Bill Barnard and Richard Zimmerman of the Plain Dealer, Jim Cox of WJW-TV, Rebecca Bell and Steve Delaney of NBC, radio news reporter Hugh Danaceau and Tony Ripley of The New York Times, who frequently covered Cleveland.

There were some bona fide members of the business establishment who never faltered despite the hysteria of the times: Harris Inter-Type's George S. Dively and Richard Tullis, John Sherwin of Diamond Shamrock, Lamson Session's George Graebner, attorney A. A. Sommer, Jr., and bankers Robert Hexter and Joseph A. Cole.

Grateful thanks from me and my family are extended to brave policemen who provided security for us through some very perilous four years: Sergeants Bosie Mack and Edward Hocevar, and Detectives James Barrett, Tony Midola, William Taylor and Robert Tonne.

My appreciation to Robert M. McGruder and Allen Wiggins for assistance in writing this book, and to my editor, Alice Mayhew.

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Last updated February 15, 2002