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130 The Disney Way

become a thriving business hub and tourist destination. This transformation
did not happen overnight. It began in 1967 with the dream of newly elected
mayor, Richard Lugar, now Indiana’s senior U.S. Senator. Yet three years ear-
lier, the notion of becoming a politician was far from his mind; he was merely
a concerned parent on the Indianapolis School Board trying to preserve the
school lunch program. After stirring things up in this position, the Indianapolis
News suggested that the city needed a mayor who was not afraid of change,
and that Lugar would be the ideal choice. In the election that followed, the
Republican Party enthusiastically agreed and drafted Lugar as their candidate.
During his campaign, Lugar began talking about the limitless pos-
sibilities for Indianapolis, and his fervor spread with 50-foot billboards of
the so-called “walking man”: Lugar striking a Kennedy-esque pose with his
coat slung over his shoulder. With 25-foot lettering that read “LUGAR” in
orange underscored with speed lines, talk on the street was that he “was going
to remake the city.”
Lugar dared to act out the dream of his predecessor’s Indianapolis
Progress Committee. During Lugar’s two terms as mayor (1968–1975), one
of the most notable events in Indianapolis government history occurred, the
adoption of Uni-Gov, a merger of the city and Marion County governments.
Many units of city and county government were consolidated into one civil
government, including the City Council and the County Council that joined
to become the City–County Council. The structure of Uni-Gov was divided
into three branches similar to the federal government: the executive branch,
the legislative branch, and the judicial branch.
With Uni-Gov, the population and tax base of Indianapolis nearly doubled,
and more than 2,000 agencies were consolidated into 6. More importantly, the
merger had near perfect timing and may have saved Indianapolis from becom-
ing another crumbling urban center surrounded by prosperous suburbs.
This story reaches far beyond Lugar’s clinching an election; it is one of
powerful diplomacy, teamwork that transcended party lines, and a fight to
destroy the racial inequalities that prevailed in the 1960s.
Long known as the “Crossroads of America,” Indianapolis has shed its
tired image and emerged as an exciting community where people are proud
to live and work. In the words of CBS sports commentator, Jim Nantz, “You
can’t say enough about the vision by the civic leaders, the business commu-
nity and the government constructing this downtown area over the last 20
years. It is such an ideal setting for the Final Four.” And the daring of one
leader inspired it all.