Frank Couzens was born on February 28, 1902, and passed away on October 31, 1950. He was the son of United States Senator James J. Couzens and served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan during the 1930s.

Early life

Frank Couzens was born in Detroit on February 28, 1902. His father was James J. Couzens, who later became mayor of Detroit and a United States Senator. Frank attended Newman Preparatory School in New Jersey before returning to Detroit to complete high school. After graduating, he worked as an apprentice in construction and later as an inspector for a company that designs buildings. In 1922, he started his own construction company.

In 1922, Frank married Margaret Lang. The couple had four sons: Frank Couzens Jr., James Couzens II, Homer J. Couzens, and George L. Couzens. They also had three daughters: Mrs. Edward C. Roney, Mary Elizabeth Couzens, and Barbara Ann Couzens.

Politics

In 1928, then-mayor John C. Lodge appointed Couzens to serve on the Detroit Street Railways Commission. In 1930, the next mayor, Charles Bowles, removed Couzens from the commission after Couzens opposed Bowles's plan to increase streetcar fares. However, Bowles was removed from office by voters, and Frank Murphy restored Couzens to his position.

In 1931, Couzens ran for a seat on the Detroit City Council and received enough votes to become council president. When Murphy left his position in 1933 to become governor of the Philippines, Couzens became acting mayor. On September 8, 1933, Couzens left the mayor's office to focus on earning the Republican nomination for mayor. He was elected mayor twice and served for four years in total.

Later life

After leaving his position as mayor, Couzens retired from politics and started the Wabeek Bank of Detroit. He served as chairman of the bank for the next 12 years. Couzens died on October 31, 1950, after a long illness caused by cancer. Through a series of mergers, the Wabeek Bank eventually became part of Comerica.