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| William G. Milliken, Michigan Governor in a Transformative Era, Dies at 97 | William G. Milliken, Michigan Governor in a Transformative Era, Dies at 97 |
| (7 days later) | |
| William G. Milliken, a moderate Republican who as governor led Michigan through a period of profound transformation in the 1970s, as it went from being an economically scarred industrial state to one that embraced technology, business diversity and environmental quality, died on Friday at his home in Traverse City, Mich. He was 97. | William G. Milliken, a moderate Republican who as governor led Michigan through a period of profound transformation in the 1970s, as it went from being an economically scarred industrial state to one that embraced technology, business diversity and environmental quality, died on Friday at his home in Traverse City, Mich. He was 97. |
| His son and only immediate survivor, Bill Jr., confirmed the death. | His son and only immediate survivor, Bill Jr., confirmed the death. |
| Mr. Milliken was the longest-serving governor in Michigan’s history, a 14-year tenure that began in January 1969, when, as the state’s lieutenant governor, he succeeded George Romney, who had left office in the middle of his term to join President Richard M. Nixon’s cabinet. Mr. Milliken went on to be elected to three full four-year terms. | Mr. Milliken was the longest-serving governor in Michigan’s history, a 14-year tenure that began in January 1969, when, as the state’s lieutenant governor, he succeeded George Romney, who had left office in the middle of his term to join President Richard M. Nixon’s cabinet. Mr. Milliken went on to be elected to three full four-year terms. |
| Days before he became governor in 1969, he told a joint legislative session, “It is my greatest hope that this administration will be known for its compassion, its idealism, its candor, and its toughness in the pursuit of public ends.” | Days before he became governor in 1969, he told a joint legislative session, “It is my greatest hope that this administration will be known for its compassion, its idealism, its candor, and its toughness in the pursuit of public ends.” |
| That vision was largely borne out. His administration invested in urban housing and education, defended auto industry jobs and profits in the wake of the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo, strengthened higher education and put innovative environmental protections in place. | That vision was largely borne out. His administration invested in urban housing and education, defended auto industry jobs and profits in the wake of the 1973-74 Arab oil embargo, strengthened higher education and put innovative environmental protections in place. |
| Much of what he achieved in public policy was made possible by what his allies and opponents alike said was his soft-spoken graciousness and decency and a talent for building political bridges. He succeeded in convincing cities and suburbs, labor and management, business executives and environmentalists, and Republicans and Democrats that their interests often dovetailed. | Much of what he achieved in public policy was made possible by what his allies and opponents alike said was his soft-spoken graciousness and decency and a talent for building political bridges. He succeeded in convincing cities and suburbs, labor and management, business executives and environmentalists, and Republicans and Democrats that their interests often dovetailed. |
| This was no small feat considering that his governorship, which lasted until 1983, coincided with a litany of trouble: the deepest economic crisis and the highest unemployment rates in Michigan since the Great Depression; racial unrest in the latter years of the civil rights movement; volatile protests over the Vietnam War; industrial depredations of natural resources; and rusting old factories. | This was no small feat considering that his governorship, which lasted until 1983, coincided with a litany of trouble: the deepest economic crisis and the highest unemployment rates in Michigan since the Great Depression; racial unrest in the latter years of the civil rights movement; volatile protests over the Vietnam War; industrial depredations of natural resources; and rusting old factories. |
| Mr. Milliken took office less than two years after a race riot in Detroit had claimed more than 40 lives. He set about campaigning for affirmative action, named young African-Americans as top aides — among them Roy Levy Williams, who went on to become chairman of the N.A.A.C.P. — and cultivated black allies like Detroit’s fiery mayor, Coleman A. Young, whom he counted as a supporter. | Mr. Milliken took office less than two years after a race riot in Detroit had claimed more than 40 lives. He set about campaigning for affirmative action, named young African-Americans as top aides — among them Roy Levy Williams, who went on to become chairman of the N.A.A.C.P. — and cultivated black allies like Detroit’s fiery mayor, Coleman A. Young, whom he counted as a supporter. |
| In 1978, in the last of his three successful campaigns for governor, Mr. Milliken became the first Republican to sweep Wayne County, which includes Detroit, in 32 years. “Bill Milliken proved that you can appeal to people’s best instincts and be a very successful politician,” Mr. Young said that year. | |
| With each campaign, Mr. Milliken’s popularity and stature grew, both in Michigan and outside. In 1977, the year he was elected chairman of the National Governors Association, his 49 colleagues named him “the nation’s most effective governor.” In 1982 Richard Snelling, a former Republican governor of Vermont, remarked, “He will surely be recorded in history as one of the nation’s greatest governors.” | With each campaign, Mr. Milliken’s popularity and stature grew, both in Michigan and outside. In 1977, the year he was elected chairman of the National Governors Association, his 49 colleagues named him “the nation’s most effective governor.” In 1982 Richard Snelling, a former Republican governor of Vermont, remarked, “He will surely be recorded in history as one of the nation’s greatest governors.” |
| Mr. Milliken’s tempered view about government’s usefulness was consistent with those of other prominent Republican moderates who came of age during and immediately after World War II, many of them his friends. They included Mr. Romney; Gerald R. Ford, who was a congressman from Grand Rapids, Mich., before becoming vice president and then president; Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York; and George H.W. Bush, for whom Mr. Milliken campaigned in the 1980 and 1988 presidential races. | Mr. Milliken’s tempered view about government’s usefulness was consistent with those of other prominent Republican moderates who came of age during and immediately after World War II, many of them his friends. They included Mr. Romney; Gerald R. Ford, who was a congressman from Grand Rapids, Mich., before becoming vice president and then president; Gov. Nelson A. Rockefeller of New York; and George H.W. Bush, for whom Mr. Milliken campaigned in the 1980 and 1988 presidential races. |
| But as his last term came to an end in the early years of the Ronald Reagan administration, Mr. Milliken found himself at odds with his party’s leadership over his conviction that government programs should advance the public interest. Conservatives were growing restive with the bipartisan, alliance-building style that had led Mr. Milliken to court organized labor, to appoint Democrats to state jobs and to support abortion rights. | But as his last term came to an end in the early years of the Ronald Reagan administration, Mr. Milliken found himself at odds with his party’s leadership over his conviction that government programs should advance the public interest. Conservatives were growing restive with the bipartisan, alliance-building style that had led Mr. Milliken to court organized labor, to appoint Democrats to state jobs and to support abortion rights. |
| The intraparty rift widened in 2004, when Mr. Milliken endorsed Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee for president, and expressed disdain for President George W. Bush, his former ally’s eldest son, who was seeking re-election. Mr. Bush had “pursued policies pandering to the extreme right wing across a wide variety of issues,” Mr. Milliken said, and had “exacerbated the polarization and the strident, uncivil tone of much of what passes for political discourse in this country today.” | The intraparty rift widened in 2004, when Mr. Milliken endorsed Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts, the Democratic nominee for president, and expressed disdain for President George W. Bush, his former ally’s eldest son, who was seeking re-election. Mr. Bush had “pursued policies pandering to the extreme right wing across a wide variety of issues,” Mr. Milliken said, and had “exacerbated the polarization and the strident, uncivil tone of much of what passes for political discourse in this country today.” |
| The policy arena that galvanized Mr. Milliken the most was the environment. He was an early proponent of the view that lasting prosperity depended on conserving rather than exploiting Michigan’s tremendous storehouse of natural wealth. “We should not measure human progress solely on the basis of what we’ve built, but also on what we have preserved and protected,” he said. | The policy arena that galvanized Mr. Milliken the most was the environment. He was an early proponent of the view that lasting prosperity depended on conserving rather than exploiting Michigan’s tremendous storehouse of natural wealth. “We should not measure human progress solely on the basis of what we’ve built, but also on what we have preserved and protected,” he said. |
| From 1970 to 1982, Mr. Milliken fought for and gained passage of 13 major statutes that were intended to secure the quality of the state’s Great Lakes shoreline, protect wetlands and natural rivers, control erosion, clean up toxic wastes, ensure the preservation of wild habitat and improve the management of Michigan’s vast public domain, the largest of any state east of the Mississippi River. He also successfully campaigned for what was widely regarded as a model bottle-recycling bill. | From 1970 to 1982, Mr. Milliken fought for and gained passage of 13 major statutes that were intended to secure the quality of the state’s Great Lakes shoreline, protect wetlands and natural rivers, control erosion, clean up toxic wastes, ensure the preservation of wild habitat and improve the management of Michigan’s vast public domain, the largest of any state east of the Mississippi River. He also successfully campaigned for what was widely regarded as a model bottle-recycling bill. |
| An important ally was his wife, Helen Milliken, a popular and politically active conservationist who was also a leading proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment in Michigan during the 1970s. She died in 2012. | An important ally was his wife, Helen Milliken, a popular and politically active conservationist who was also a leading proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment in Michigan during the 1970s. She died in 2012. |
| Under Mr. Milliken’s stewardship, tourism and recreation became Michigan’s third-largest generator of wealth, behind manufacturing and agriculture. | Under Mr. Milliken’s stewardship, tourism and recreation became Michigan’s third-largest generator of wealth, behind manufacturing and agriculture. |
| William Grawn Milliken was born in Traverse City on March 26, 1922, to a family of business and political leaders. His grandfather, James W. Milliken, founded J.W. Milliken Inc., a department store that grew into a small chain; he also served a two-year term as a Republican state senator in the last years of the 19th century. | William Grawn Milliken was born in Traverse City on March 26, 1922, to a family of business and political leaders. His grandfather, James W. Milliken, founded J.W. Milliken Inc., a department store that grew into a small chain; he also served a two-year term as a Republican state senator in the last years of the 19th century. |
| Mr. Milliken’s father, James Thacker Milliken, was a liberal Republican and a conservationist who expanded the family business and served five terms as state senator. His mother, Hildegarde (Grawn) Milliken, the daughter of the president of Central Michigan University, was a cultured University of Michigan graduate who became politically active as a member of the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom and for a time operated an antiques store. | Mr. Milliken’s father, James Thacker Milliken, was a liberal Republican and a conservationist who expanded the family business and served five terms as state senator. His mother, Hildegarde (Grawn) Milliken, the daughter of the president of Central Michigan University, was a cultured University of Michigan graduate who became politically active as a member of the International Women’s League for Peace and Freedom and for a time operated an antiques store. |
| William Milliken followed his father to Yale, though his undergraduate career was interrupted when he joined the Army Air Forces in World War II and served on an estimated 50 dangerous missions as a waist-gunner on B-24 bombers. Two of the bombers crashed, one on takeoff and the other while landing. He bailed out of a third that had been hit by enemy fire, and he was wounded in the stomach by flak. Mr. Milliken rose to the rank of staff sergeant and received several medals, including the Purple Heart. | William Milliken followed his father to Yale, though his undergraduate career was interrupted when he joined the Army Air Forces in World War II and served on an estimated 50 dangerous missions as a waist-gunner on B-24 bombers. Two of the bombers crashed, one on takeoff and the other while landing. He bailed out of a third that had been hit by enemy fire, and he was wounded in the stomach by flak. Mr. Milliken rose to the rank of staff sergeant and received several medals, including the Purple Heart. |
| In 1945, after his return from service, he married Helen Wallbank, whom he had met when she was student at Smith College in Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale with a bachelor’s degree in 1946. Besides their son, the couple had a daughter, Elaine Wallbank Milliken, who became a public defender in Detroit and died of cancer in 1993 at 45. | In 1945, after his return from service, he married Helen Wallbank, whom he had met when she was student at Smith College in Massachusetts. He graduated from Yale with a bachelor’s degree in 1946. Besides their son, the couple had a daughter, Elaine Wallbank Milliken, who became a public defender in Detroit and died of cancer in 1993 at 45. |
| Mr. Milliken won his first political campaign in 1960, winning the same State Senate seat that his father and grandfather had held. He was re-elected in 1962 and served as Senate majority floor leader. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1965. | Mr. Milliken won his first political campaign in 1960, winning the same State Senate seat that his father and grandfather had held. He was re-elected in 1962 and served as Senate majority floor leader. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1965. |
| Mr. Milliken’s disenchantment with the rightward drift of the Republican Party continued into his later years. Though he endorsed Senator John McCain, a Republican, in the 2008 presidential race, he also supported a number of Democrats in Michigan, including Jennifer Granholm in her 2006 campaign for governor. | Mr. Milliken’s disenchantment with the rightward drift of the Republican Party continued into his later years. Though he endorsed Senator John McCain, a Republican, in the 2008 presidential race, he also supported a number of Democrats in Michigan, including Jennifer Granholm in her 2006 campaign for governor. |
| In 2016 he again broke with his party, endorsing Hillary Clinton over Donald J. Trump. | In 2016 he again broke with his party, endorsing Hillary Clinton over Donald J. Trump. |
| “This nation has long prided itself on its abiding commitments to tolerance, civility and equality,” Mr. Milliken said in a statement at the time. “We face a critically important choice in this year’s presidential election that will define whether we maintain our commitment to those ideals or embark on a path that has doomed other governments and nations throughout history. | “This nation has long prided itself on its abiding commitments to tolerance, civility and equality,” Mr. Milliken said in a statement at the time. “We face a critically important choice in this year’s presidential election that will define whether we maintain our commitment to those ideals or embark on a path that has doomed other governments and nations throughout history. |
| “I am saddened and dismayed,” he continued, “that the Republican Party this year has nominated a candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not embrace those ideals.” | “I am saddened and dismayed,” he continued, “that the Republican Party this year has nominated a candidate who has repeatedly demonstrated that he does not embrace those ideals.” |
| Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting. | Daniel E. Slotnik contributed reporting. |