On March 26, 1922, former Gov. William Milliken was born in Traverse City.
Governor Milliken, from Traverse City, was the longest serving Michigan Governor. He originally became governor in 1969, when Governor Romney accepted a spot in Richard Nixon’s cabinet. Thanks to his good nature and charm, he was elected in 1970, 1974, and 1978. As a moderate Republican, he was known for his progressive politics, his support of environmental issues such as the “bottle bill”, and his support of Mayor Coleman Young in Detroit.
“As governor, he tried to fix problems, not the blame. He worked hard and effectively to get things done; he is a big part of the reason we have bottle and can recycling in this state. He was no wimp; he was repeatedly wounded and barely survived World War II. But he treated everyone with courtesy and civility, even reporters.”
Sources :
Michigan Every Day.
Governor William Milliken wikipedia entry
Jack Lessenberry, “Happy Birthday Governor Milliken“, Michigan Radio, March 26, 2017.
Visit the February 22, 2012 issue of Dome Magazine for more information about Governor Milliken
Jack Lessenberry, “Michigan’s Longest-Serving Governor, William Milliken, Remains Relevant”, Hour Detroit, February 2011.