Shirley Dean

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Shirley Ann Dean (Bryant) was the mayor of the U.S. city of Berkeley, California, from 1994 to 2002.

She graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Social Welfare in 1956.

Shirley Dean was considered a moderate politician in a notoriously liberal city. During most of her two-term tenure as Mayor, she presided over a divided City Council that had a 5-4 progressive majority. She used her power as presiding member to control the agenda and frustrate the progressive Council majority at every turn. Dean's tactics became so notorious that she earned the nickname "Shirley Mean," and were the main target of a city art festival-sponsored satirical, mock City Council, in which actors took over the Council Chambers and ridiculed Berkeley's elected officials.

Dean may still be best remembered for having posed as progressive rival Councilmember Kriss Worthington's aunt to try and dig up dirt on Worthington by improperly getting access to his undergraduate college files.[1] She also repeatedly took credit for proposals from others that she originally opposed. After September 11th, when the progressive Council majority voted to condemn the war in Afghanistan, Dean went on Fox News and warned that the council's actions were prompting an economic boycott of the City.[2]