William H. Hudnut III | |
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45th Mayor of Indianapolis | |
In office January 1, 1976 – January 1, 1992 |
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Preceded by | Richard Lugar |
Succeeded by | Stephen Goldsmith |
Mayor of Chevy Chase, Maryland | |
In office 2004–2006 |
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Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 11th district |
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In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1975 |
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Preceded by | Andrew Jacobs, Jr. |
Succeeded by | Andrew Jacobs, Jr. |
Personal details | |
Born |
William Herbert Hudnut III October 17, 1932 Cincinnati, Ohio |
Died | December 18, 2016 Chevy Chase, Maryland |
(aged 84)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Anne Goodyear Susan Greer Rice Beverly Guidara |
Children | 6 |
Alma mater |
Princeton University Union Theological Seminary |
William Herbert Hudnut III (October 17, 1932 – December 18, 2016) was the 45th mayor of Indianapolis from 1976 to 1992. A Republican, his four terms made him the city's longest serving mayor. He had previously represented the Indianapolis area in Congress from 1973 to 1975 but was defeated in his race for a second term.
Hudnut was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 17, 1932. He attended the Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York, and graduated from Princeton University in 1954, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He earned a Master's Degree in Theology from the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York and was ordained a clergyman in 1957.
Hudnut was an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church and was the senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis from 1964 to 1972. He led the congregation with a moderate but active stance through the social issues of the 1960s, including the Vietnam War and race relations. He had previously served churches in Buffalo, NY and Annapolis, MD.
In the 1972 Republican primary for Indiana's 11th congressional district, Hudnut defeated future Congressman Dan Burton. After winning the general election against four-term Congressman Andrew Jacobs, Jr., he served only one term in the 93rd United States Congress. While in Congress he sponsored seventeen bills that became law, but he lost his reelection bid to Jacobs.
Hudnut received honorary degrees from 13 colleges and universities. He was also a member of the Antelope Club.
Hudnut became the mayor of Indianapolis in 1976. taking over from Richard Lugar, who had been the architect of the Unigov legislation that merged the government structures of Indianapolis and Marion County. Hudnut's goal was to change the city from "India-NO-place" to "India-SHOW-place." His mayorship was defined by economic development in Downtown Indianapolis, business, construction, and sports.