HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Michigan’s longest-serving governor, Gov. William Milliken, has died.
The Republican and Traverse City native was 97, and had been ill for some time.
He was a World War II Army Air Corps veteran, and had been president of a department store started by his grandfather, J.W. Milliken, Inc., before going into public service after being appointed to the Michigan Waterways Commission.
Milliken was a state senator and Michigan’s senate majority leader from 1961-65.
He ran on a ticket with Gov. George Romney becoming Michigan’s lieutenant governor in 1965. When Romney left Michigan to work for the Nixon administration, Milliken succeeded him a governor, then ran and won election for two more terms, ending in 1983.
Moderation infused his career as a public servant. He had a strong alliance with long-time Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, a Democrat, and spoke at his funeral. Milliken was instrumental in helping Detroit avoid financial collapse in the 1970s and again in the 1980s.
The William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor is on the Detroit River along a portion of the City’s Detroit Riverwalk.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer emailed the following statement on Gov. William Milliken’s legacy:
“Governor Milliken was a true statesman who led our state with integrity and honor. He had a unique ability to bring people from both sides of the aisle together for the betterment of Michigan. We are a stronger, safer, more sustainable state because of his leadership and dedication to the people who call it home. I’ve always looked up to Governor Milliken as a trusted, respected leader and I’m proud to have called him a friend of the family. I extend my deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Governor Milliken’s family for their loss. May we all continue to learn from his lifetime of service as we work together to build a stronger Michigan for everyone.”
U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, a St. Joseph Republican, tweeted, “Gov. Milliken was a friend, always. He encouraged me on many fronts and led a life with no regrets. His infectious smile charmed and disarmed all who knew him, and his bipartisan style served as a role model of days gone by and certainly needed today!”
Mr. Milliken was predeceased by his wife, Helen, in 2012, and their daughter, Elaine, and survived by his son, Bill, Jr.. Funeral arrangements are pending.
