Thomas M. Cooley was born on January 6, 1824, in Attica, New York. He taught school in order to earn money to obtain his education. Cooley planned to continue his studies in Chicago, but during his travels in 1843 he ran out of funds and settled in Adrian, Michigan. While in Adrian, he finished his law studies in the firm of Tiffany and Beaman.
The fast paced characteristics of Cooley’s professional life began once he was admitted to the Bar. Initially, he worked as a Deputy County Clerk but grew restless and sought a law partnership. He worked in two law firms while editing the Adrian Watchtower, serving as Court Commissioner and Recorder for Adrian, and cultivating his 100-acre farm.
Throughout his early career, Cooley was offered a number of teaching positions at various law schools around the country, and in 1859, he accepted the position of Jay Professor of Law at the newly formed University of Michigan Law Department, a position he held until 1884.
His time with the Michigan Supreme Court began in 1858 when he served as Court Reporter. He relinquished that position when he was appointed to serve on the Court in 1864.
Another aspect of Cooley’s undertakings was his literary works. He wrote a number of law manuals, the most famous being Cooley’s Constitutional Limitations, which was published in 1868. In addition, many of Cooley’s magazine articles and addresses were printed and revered by his colleagues.
The latter part of Cooley’s career was played out on a national level. He was placed on a commission to investigate issues involving railroads. That venture led him to serve as Receiver of Wabash Railroad. In March of 1887, President Grover Cleveland appointed him Commissioner to the Interstate Commerce Commission. He resigned in 1891 and continued lecturing and writing articles until his death on September 12, 1898.
Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society Thomas Cooley Profile
Photo of Ferris taking the oath of office as Governor of Michigan, 1913.
On January 6, 1853, Woodbridge N. Ferris, Michigan governor from 1913-1916, was born in Spencer, NY.
As governor, Ferris advocated prohibition and sent the state militia to the Upper Peninsula during a copper miner’s strike.
In 1922, the Democrat was elected to the U.S. Senate, but is best remembered for founding the Ferris Technological Institute, now called Ferris State University.
Sources:
Woodbridge N. Ferris Bio from Ferris State University
The Autobiography of Woodbridge N. Ferris
On Jan. 6, 1863, a celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation took place at Second Baptist Church in Detroit, the first African-American congregation established in Michigan.
It included “speeches by white and black Negroes,” according to Detroit Free Press reporting.
Some sang:
“Old Abe Lincoln is the man for me,
Old Abe Lincoln is the man for me,
Old Abe Lincoln is the man for all,
He can whip Jeff Davis and Old Stonewall.”
The event occurred after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1 as the nation approached its third year of civil war. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”
The city’s population in 1860 was 45,619, only 1,402 of whom were African American, according to public records. Up to this point, Detroit had an important site on the Underground Railroad, a system of travel where local people aided the passage of fugitive slaves to freedom from Southern states like Kentucky, the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Because Detroit was located just North of Windsor, Ontario, where slavery was abolished in 1834, the Motor City was a popular destination for Blacks seeking freedom. Although Michigan was a free territory, some refugee slaves wanted to go over the border to Canada to prevent being captured by slavecatchers.
Others settled in Detroit. For example, Elijah McCoy, the inventor and engineer who was noted for 57 U.S. patents, was born in Canada in 1844 but later lived in Ypsilanti and Detroit. His parents were fugitive slaves who had escaped from Kentucky.
Two months after the Detroit Emancipation Proclamation celebration, a race riot rocked the city. A set of disturbances were reported by the Detroit Free Press as “the bloodiest day that ever dawned upon Detroit.” The spark that sets off the conflagration was unrest related to racism and the military draft, as Blacks had been serving on the Union side. At the end of the day, at least two innocent people were dead and dozens were beaten, most of whom were African American.
One account alleged that an angry white mob attacked a home where African-American women and children were present, propelling Black men to react with vengeance. The tragic event resulted in the creation of a full-time police force in Detroit.
One hundred years later, Vice President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Michigan Gov. George Romney attended a dedication ceremony where a Michigan historic marker is placed to remember the event.
Lyndon B. Johnson unveiling Emancipation Proclamation plaque at Second Baptist Church, January 6, 1963.
Source : Ken Coleman, “On this day in 1863: Emancipation Proclamation celebration held in Detroit“, Michigan Advance, January 6, 2022.
On January 6, 1912 a Deerfield, Michigan horse farmer named Shaheed Yakhoob (later Jacobs) and his wife Margaret, welcomed a new child into the world. The Jacobs, Lebanese immigrants, named their baby Muzyad. Years later the child would become famous as the actor and comedian Danny Thomas. However, his greatest accomplishment was founding St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.
Source : Debra Ann Pawlak, Danny Thomas : Funny Man and Philanthropist, Michigan History, September/October 2013, pp. 15-20.
Calumet Colosseum is marking its 100th anniversary with a hockey game between the teams that started it all back in 1914.
The Calumet Wolverines and Portage Lake Pioneers will skate against each other on Monday night. The two rivals also were on the rink on Jan. 6, 1914, when the Colosseum opened, according to WLUC-TV in Marquette.
Picture caption : Despite many upgrades and improvements over the years, the Calumet Colosseum (seen here in the 1920s) has been able to maintain its historic charm.
For the full article, see “Calumet Colosseum marks 100 years with rivals game”, Detroit News, January 5, 2014.
Craig Stancher, “100 Years Young: Calumet Colosseum”, USA Hockey Magazine : As The Calumet Colosseum Prepares To Celebrate Its Centennial Birthday, It Continues To Serve As The Center Of A Proud Hockey Universe
Nurmi with President Calvin Coolidge during his 1925 U.S. tour
On this day in 1838 Samuel Morse gave a public demonstration of the telegraph for the first time.
However, students at Finlandia University might be more impressed by Paava Nurmi setting the indoor world record for the mile and 5000 meter race while touring the U.S. on Janaury 6, 1925.
The Flying Finn, won 9 gold medals and 3 silver in 3 Olympics between 1920 and 1928.
The Finlandia University Athletic Center in Hancock is named in his honor.
Source : Pasty Central Day in History
Kerrigan and Harding in Lillehammer
On January 6, 1994, the United State Figure Skating Championships, taking place at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, were marred by violence and scandal as Nancy Kerrigan was hit on the knee when she was exiting a practice session at Cobo Arena. It was later determined that the attack was orchestrated by supporters of Tonya Harding, who was skating against Kerrigan in the ladies competition. Kerrigan’s …injury rendered her unable to skate in Detroit, and Harding subsequently won the ladies’ title. However, Kerrigan recovered in time for the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway the next month and won a silver medal. Harding finished 8th at the Olympics, and later was stripped of her U.S. title when the full details of the attack emerged.
The bizarre attack is playing out again this week in theaters across the country in the film “I, Tonya,” starring Margot Robbie as Tonya Harding.
For more information, see Angelique Chengelis, “Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding drama unfolded 20 years ago Monday in Detroit”, Detroit News, January 4, 2014.
Biggest story of ’94 Olympics tied to The Joe“, , March 31, 2017, updated April 7, 2017
I, Tonya released in 2017. (Also available as DVD) Based on the unbelievable but true events, I, Tonya is a dark comedic tale of American figure skater, Tonya Harding, and one of the most sensational scandals in sports history. Though Harding was the first American woman to complete a triple axel in competition, her legacy was forever defined by her association with an infamous and poorly executed attack on fellow Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan. Featuring an iconic turn by Margot Robbie as the fiery Harding, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, and an original screenplay by Steven Rogers, Craig Gillespie’s I, Tonya is an absurd, irreverent, and piercing portrayal of Harding’s life and career in all of its unchecked—and checkered—glory.
January 6-7, 2014
Between 12-15 inches of snow fell on January 5-6, 2014, causing hazardous driving conditions and closing MSU for the 6th time in its history on January 6-7 (Monday and Tuesday). Actually it was more the single digit termperatures and below zero wind chill that led the university to cancel classes again on January 7th.
Whatever the reason, students enjoyed the unexpected holiday from classes.
Addendum : Top Six MSU Closures Due to Snow, Cold, or a Combination
Number 1. The first time the campus was closed was on January 27, 1967, when 26 inches of snow fell on campus.
Number 2. A freak snowstorm on April 3, 1975 dumped 15 inches of wet snow, making roads and sidewalks impassable. Many people weren’t prepared for that kind of weather so late in the spring. It later led to one of the biggest floods in mid-Michigan history about 2 weeks later.
Number 3. The blizzard of ’78 also forced the university to suspend classes, after 24 inches of snow closed MSU for 2 days on January 26 & 27.
Number 4. Cold weather was the reason why MSU suspended classes on January 19, 1994. Temperatures were 18 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 51 degrees below zero, the second coldest temperature recorded this century. While classes were suspended, the university stayed open.
Number 5. On February 2, 2011, classes were suspended for blizzard conditions that brought nearly a foot of snow, high winds and frigid temperatures. University critical functions were maintained, while electronic services and business operations were done remotely. The National Weather Service called this a “top 10 storm” for Michigan.
Number 6. January 6-7, 2014. After nearly two days of suspended operations, classes at MSU are expected to resume at 5pm Tuesday, marking the sixth time in university history it had to close to due to weather.
Sources:
“Recent MSU Closure Marks 6th Time in University History“, WILX News, Channel 10, January 7, 2014.
Eve Adoulos and Hillary Gatlin, “A History of Snow Days at MSU”, Tales from the Archives: Volume One, Campus and Traditions, 1917.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Friday will receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, one of the nation’s highest civilian honors, for her role in overseeing the 2020 election and defending it against efforts to overturn the result.
President Joe Biden, who won that election, will host a ceremony at the White House on the second anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Supporters of former President Donald Trump broke down barriers and entered the Capitol in an attempt to stop Congress from certifying Biden’s election.
Benson is one of 12 people who will receive the Presidential Citizens Medal on Friday and who the White House said “demonstrated courage and selflessness during a moment of peril for our nation.” They include Capitol Police and Metropolitan Police who defended the Capitol, election workers and officials at the state and local level.
In Benson’s case, the White House noted that during the 2020 election she “faced pressure from those seeking to overturn the election results” including having armed protesters gather outside her home in December 2020, as Trump and his allies continued to press baseless claims that the election in Michigan had been fraudulent. During the 2020 campaign, Trump threatened to withhold funding for Michigan if Benson followed through on an effort to have absentee ballot applications sent to every voter in the state amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, Benson received a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for having “defended the will of Michigan voters and assured them that she would protect and defend the integrity of Michigan’s vote in accordance with state law” despite pressure from Trump and others. Biden won Michigan by more than 154,000 votes.
Benson said in a statement that she was “deeply honored” to receive the medal. “As the heroes who stood guard over the nation’s electoral votes at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, can attest, defending every voice and every vote requires courage and commitment to country, our Constitution, and the will of the American voters.”
The Presidential Citizens Medal is awarded to individuals who have “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens” and is the nation’s highest civilian honor behind the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Source: Todd Spangler, “Jocelyn Benson to receive presidential medal on Jan. 6 anniversary of US Capitol attack”, Detroit Free Press, January 3, 2023.
Peter Dow curling on Orchard Lake. Circa 1915. Note the small stones. Perhaps they are “irons.
According to legend, the Orchard Lake Scotsmen formed Michigan’s first curling club in 1831 and played their first match on January 7, 1832.
The Detroit Curling Club, founded in 1840 and now located just north of the city in Ferndale, is one of the oldest clubs in the U.S.
Undated photo from the Detroit Curling Club Archives.
Grand Rapids lays claim to having birthed the first women’s curling club in the country (founded 1908).
Source : Pasty Central Day in History.