Andrew Theising, Author of Mid-Mod Mayor

Leviathan Bookstore is proud to host SIUE professor and author Andrew Theising as we celebrate the publication of his book. Admission is free, but we encourage you to RSVP here.

About the book: The Postwar Years were bursting with new ideas and new energy. The Baby Boom was underway and it was an unprecedented time of change, vision, and growth: downtown, suburbs, desegregation, monuments, highways, civil rights. St. Louis voters chose an engineer to be mayor in 1953. Raymond Tucker proved to be one of the most consequential city leaders ever. He led St. Louis through the Mid-Century Modern era.

He was a very different kind of leader. He broke gender and color barriers with his appointments. He did community engagement before it was common practice. He was persistent, pragmatic, and professional. The problem with being steady and consistent, though, is that changing times will pass right by. Tucker was a reluctant politician, and old political forces constantly nipped at his heels. When he died, the street on which city hall stands was renamed in his honor. This is his story, defining the point where the city's past turned into its future.

About the author: Andrew J. Theising, PhD, is professor of political science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and coordinator of the Initiative for Urban Research in the College of Arts and Sciences. His research has been used by media nationwide, including the New York Times, the Atlantic Monthly, and the PBS NewsHour (the last winning an Emmy Award for the feature on his work). He is the author and editor of numerous books and publications, including .

Host or Publisher Leviathan Bookstore