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 worked for UC Berkeley Undergraduate Admission and Relations with Schools on a half-time appointment during her time as mayor.^[1]

Shirley Dean graduated from Berkeley High School in 1952 and from UC Berkeley with a BA in Social Welfare in 1956. Dean is a liberal Democrat and was a leader of the liberal Berkeley Democratic Club.

Dean started her political career by organizing the Bonita-Berryman Neighborhood Association, which led to her appointment in 1971 to the city's Planning Commission. She served on the City Council for 15 years between 1975 and 1994.^[2] Dean was elected mayor in 1994 after a close run-off race. ^[3] She was re-elected by more than 56% of the vote in 1998.^[4] For much of her career, Dean's political base was the very active network of Berkeley neighborhood organizations.

Shirley Dean was considered moderate in Berkeley politics.^[5] 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, at times, to frustrate the Council's progressive majority. Some of her critics nicknamed her "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.^[6] Some have criticized her for taking credit for the proposals of others that she originally opposed. After September 11th, when the liberal 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.^[7]

Dean lost her bid for reelection in 2002 to fellow democrat Tom Bates. Dean took credit for building projects like expanding and renovating the city's library and constructing 8,000 new housing units, including the Gaia Building downtown, and lowering crime upon her defeat.^[8]