"In Mayor Richard J. Daley's fifty-member Chicago City Council, Alderman Leon M. Despres frequently faced defeats of forty-nine to one. Council meetings were manipulated by Robert's Rules of Order so that Despres was not allowed to speak or was continually interrupted. And when he did get a chance to talk, his microphone would often be turned off. Yet he fought on relentlessly, eventually winning on one major issue after another."

"An independent alderman in a city dominated by a political machine, a defender of civil and human rights in an era of turmoil, and an architectural preservationist struggling to keep Chicago's legacy intact, Leon Despres set the standard for a positive, ethical, and effective approach to politics, and he remains an inspiration for current and future civic leaders."--Jacket.