Alexander Joseph Groesbeck was born on November 7, 1873, and died on March 10, 1953. He was an American politician who worked as attorney general and was the 30th governor of Michigan.
Early life
Groesbeck was born in Warren, Michigan, to Louis Groesbeck, who was the sheriff of Macomb County, and his wife, Julia (Coquillard) Groesbeck. He attended public schools in Mount Clemens, Michigan, and in Wallaceburg, Ontario, where his family lived for two years. Groesbeck wanted to become a lawyer when he was young, so he studied law in the office of an attorney in Port Huron, Michigan. He later earned a law degree from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1893. That same year, he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Detroit. His colleagues quickly respected and trusted him because he followed the highest ethical standards of the legal profession.
Politics
In 1912, Groesbeck entered state politics. He helped choose a group to send to the Republican National Convention, which supported re-nominating President William Howard Taft. He also led the Republican group that backed Taft in the general election. That same year, Groesbeck was elected state party chairman and held the position until 1914. In 1914, he ran for governor of Michigan but lost the Republican primary election to Chase S. Osborn. In 1916, he was elected attorney general of Michigan and was re-elected in 1918.
As reported in The New York Times, Attorney General Groesbeck encouraged Henry Ford to run for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. This idea faced opposition from many other Republicans.
In 1920, Groesbeck won the Republican primary election for governor and defeated Democrat and former governor Woodbridge N. Ferris in the general election. He was re-elected governor in 1922 and 1924. In 1926, he lost the Republican primary election to Fred W. Green. In 1924, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, which selected President Calvin Coolidge for re-election. In addition to his political work, Groesbeck helped build the Flint-Saginaw Interurban Railway.
At the Detroit Club, he helped choose James Couzens as the Republican candidate for a Senate seat left empty by Truman Newberry in 1922.
In 1925, Groesbeck vetoed a law that would have created a state poet laureate. Time magazine reported: "During his time as governor, the state's highways grew, prison reforms were approved, car titles started, and the government was reorganized."
In 1930, Groesbeck lost the Republican primary election to Wilber M. Brucker.
Groesbeck is known as an important "road builder" in Michigan. He was the first governor to support using concrete to improve roads and help "take Michigan out of the mud."
In 1924, he opposed a ballot initiative (supported by the Public School Defense League) that required children to attend public schools and banned private schools. This put him at odds with a group that was becoming more popular, the Ku Klux Klan, which supported the opposing candidate, James Hamilton.
Retirement, death and legacy
Groesbeck was later chosen as chairman of the Michigan Civil Service Commission and held this position from 1941 to 1944. In 1944, he also served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention, where Thomas Dewey was nominated as the Republican candidate for U.S. president. Dewey later lost the general election to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was serving his third term. Groesbeck was a member of the Detroit Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. He was also well known in social and professional groups, including the Detroit Club and the Detroit Athletic Club.
The papers related to Groesbeck’s time as governor are preserved in the Archives of the State of Michigan. He died in Detroit and is buried there at Woodlawn Cemetery.
Groesbeck Highway (M-97) was named after him for two reasons: the Groesbeck family’s influence in Macomb County and Oakland County, and his support for building roads and highways in Michigan. A state historical marker in the City of Warren honors his legacy.