G. Mennen Williams
G. Mennen Williams | |
---|---|
59th Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court | |
In office January 1, 1983 – January 1, 1987 | |
Preceded by | John Warner Fitzgerald |
Succeeded by | Dorothy Comstock Riley |
Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court | |
In office January 1, 1971 – January 1, 1987 | |
Preceded by | John R. Dethmers Harry F. Kelly |
Succeeded by | Robert P. Griffin |
11th United States Ambassador to the Philippines | |
In office June 17, 1968 – April 7, 1969 | |
President | Lyndon B. Johnson Richard Nixon |
Preceded by | William McCormick Blair Jr. |
Succeeded by | Henry A. Byroade |
2nd Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs | |
In office February 1, 1961 – March 23, 1966 | |
President | John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson |
Preceded by | Joseph C. Satterthwaite |
Succeeded by | Joseph Palmer II |
41st Governor of Michigan | |
In office January 1, 1949 – January 1, 1961 | |
Lieutenant | John W. Connolly William C. Vandenberg Clarence A. Reid Philip A. Hart John B. Swainson |
Preceded by | Kim C. Sigler |
Succeeded by | John B. Swainson |
Personal details | |
Born | Gerhard Mennen Williams February 23, 1911 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
Died | February 2, 1988 Detroit, Michigan, U.S. | (aged 76)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse |
Nancy Lace Quirk (m. 1937) |
Education | Lieutenant Commander |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams (February 23, 1911 – February 2, 1988) was an American politician who served as the 41st governor of Michigan, elected in 1948 and serving six two-year terms in office. He later served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson and as chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.
Williams advocated for civil rights, racial equality, and justice for the poor. As assistant secretary of state, his remark that "what we want for the Africans is what they want for themselves", reported in the press as "Africa for the Africans", sparked controversy at the time.[1]
A staunch liberal, Williams was described by the Chicago Tribune as a political reformer who "helped forge the alliance between Democrats, blacks and union voters in the late 1940s that began a strong liberal tradition in Michigan."[2]
Personal life and early career
Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Henry P. Williams and Elma Mennen. His mother came from a prominent family; her father, Gerhard Heinrich Mennen, was the founder of the Mennen brand of men's personal care products. Because of this, Williams acquired the popular nickname "Soapy".[3]
Williams attended the
Williams met Nancy Quirk on a blind date while attending the university. She was the daughter of D. L. Quirk and Julia (Trowbridge) Quirk, a prominent
He worked with the law firm Griffiths, Williams and Griffiths from 1936 to 1941. Law firm partners included Hicks Griffiths and Martha Griffiths, later elected a Member of Congress and Michigan Lt. Governor.
During World War II, he served four years in the
Governor of Michigan
On November 2, 1948, Williams was elected Governor of Michigan, defeating Governor Kim Sigler with the support of labor unions and dissident Republicans. He was elected to a record six two-year terms in that post.[a] Among his accomplishments was the construction of the Mackinac Bridge. He appeared on the cover of Time's September 15, 1952, issue, sporting his signature green bow tie with white polka dots.
Williams believed the
Also during Williams's twelve years in office, a farm-marketing program was sanctioned, teachers' salaries, school facilities and educational programs were improved and there were also commissions formed to research problems related to aging, sex offenders and adolescent behavior.
Williams named the first woman judge in the state's history as well as the first black judge.
His final term in office was marked by high-profile struggles with the Republican-controlled state legislature and a near-shutdown of the state government. He therefore chose not to seek reelection in 1960. Williams left office on January 1, 1961.
Post-gubernatorial years
After leaving office in 1961, Williams assumed the post of
He served in this post until early 1966, when he resigned to unsuccessfully challenge Republican
In 1969 he wrote a book on the emergence of modern Africa, Africa for the Africans.
Michigan Supreme Court
Williams was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1970 and was named Chief Justice in 1983. Thus, like William Howard Taft in the federal government, he occupied the highest executive and judicial offices in Michigan government.
Retirement and death
Williams left the Court on January 1, 1987, and died the following year in Detroit at the age of 76. He was temporarily entombed at Evergreen Cemetery in Detroit and there was a formal military funeral for him. After winter his remains were interred at the Protestant Cemetery on Mackinac Island. His New York Times obituary said of Williams's diplomatic service: "Traveling widely, he studied the needs of countries in the birth pangs of independence and brought their pleas for American investment and trust to Washington."[14]
Honors
The state government's law building, G. Mennen Williams Building in Lansing, constructed in 1967, was dedicated in Williams's honor in 1997.[15]
A G. Mennen Williams dinner is an annual event held by the Ionia County Democratic Party each July at the World's Largest Free Fair in Ionia, Michigan. Originally called the Democratic Tent Dinner at its start in the mid-40s, it was renamed after Soapy in 1988 as a way to pay homage to the man that paved the way for dinners to be held at the fair. The Ionia Republican Party had held dinners at the fairgrounds during the 1940s, but the Democrats could not until Soapy stepped up and gained the party equal access in 1949.
A portion of Interstate 75 in Cheboygan County is known as the G. Mennen Williams Highway.[16]
At Detroit Mercy Law (formerly: University of Detroit Mercy School of Law), the Moot Court Board of Advocates hosts the annual G. Mennen Williams Moot Court Competition[17] for all first-year students through their Applied Legal Theory and Analysis course. First year students draft a dispositive motion and brief in support as part of their writing course, and argue their position before a mock tribunal.
Notes
- ^ Williams holds the record for most terms, but not the longest tenure in office by years served. The term of office was increased to four years in the Constitution of 1963 for elections starting in 1966.[8] John Engler served three four-year terms, 1991–2003, equaling Williams's 12-year tenure.[citation needed] Both are surpassed by William Milliken, who served from 1969 to 1983, just short of 14 years.[9]
References
- ISBN 978-0-472-03186-3.
- ^ a b Franklin, Stephen (February 3, 1988). "G. Mennen Williams, Ex-Michigan Governor". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ Saxon, Wolfgang (February 3, 1988). "G. Mennen Williams, 76, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
- ^ Williams, Gerhard Mennen (1933). Social Significance of Henry Ford (Senior Theses). Princeton University.
- ^ U.S. 1 Staff (December 6, 2017). "Ranking Princeton's Eating Clubs".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ISBN 978-0-07-338783-3.
- ^ Kestenbaum, Lawrence. "The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Quinnan to Quynn". Political Graveyard.
- ^ "Length of Terms of Office of State Governors throughout American History". The Green Papers: Historical Data. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ Coleman, Ken (March 26, 2022). "On this day in 1922: William Milliken, Michigan's longest-serving governor, is born ⋆ Michigan Advance". Michigan Advance. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ "July 8, 1950 : Governor G. Mennon Williams Narrowly Escapes Becoming Prison Hostage". MSU Libraries.[permanent dead link]
- ISBN 978-0-19-512280-0.
- ^ Noer (2006), pp. 165, 210, 215.
- ^ Noer (2006), pp. 239–240.
- ^ Saxon (February 3, 1988). "G. Mennen Williams, 76, Is Dead". The New York Times.
- ^ "G. Mennen Williams Building". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ Michigan Department of Transportation. "Memorial Highways". Michigan Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
- ^ "Competitive Opportunities; Internal Competitions". University of Detroit Mercy Law. Archived from the original on November 17, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
Further reading
- "The Mighty Mac at 50". Michigan History. Vol. 19, no. 4 (Special ed.). July–August 2007.