William Grawn Milliken (March 26, 1922 – October 18, 2019) was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan from 1969 to 1983. A member of the Republican Party, he became governor after George Romney resigned. He won three additional elections in 1970, 1974, and 1978, making him the longest-serving governor in Michigan’s history. During his time in office, he faced major changes in the state’s economy caused by shifts in industries and problems affecting the auto industry, which led to job and population losses in Detroit, Michigan’s largest city. He also handled the PBB crisis and supported environmental protection and conservation efforts.

Early life

Milliken was born in Traverse City, Michigan, as the second child in a family known for working in public service. His father, James T. Milliken, was mayor of Traverse City and a Michigan state senator for the 27th District from 1941 to 1950. His mother, Hildegarde (née Grawn), served on the Traverse City School Board and was the first woman in the city to be elected to public office. Milliken’s paternal grandfather, James W. Milliken, was also a Michigan state senator for the 27th District from 1898 to 1900.

After graduating from Traverse City Senior High School with high honors, Milliken attended Yale University, where he met his future wife, Helen Wallbank. In 1942, he left his studies to join the Army Reserve Corps and later volunteered for the Army Air Corps in early 1943. During World War II, he flew 50 combat missions as a soldier who shot from the waist area of B-24 bombers and survived two crash landings. He received seven military awards, including the Purple Heart and Air Medal.

On October 20, 1945, one month after leaving the military, Milliken married Helen. The couple had two children: a daughter, Elaine, who was a lawyer and feminist and died of cancer in 1993; and a son, William, Jr. The following spring, Milliken graduated from Yale.

William and Helen Milliken returned to Traverse City that year. He became president of J.W. Milliken, Inc., a department store started by his grandfather and later managed by his father. At its peak, the company had stores in Traverse City, Cadillac, Manistee, and Mount Pleasant. The business was sold to Stage Stores in 1996 and operated as Stage–Milliken until it closed in 2001. Helen Milliken died on November 16, 2012, at the age of 89, from ovarian cancer at their home in Traverse City.

Political career

In 1947, Governor Kim Sigler named Milliken to the Michigan Waterways Commission. In 1960, Milliken was elected as a state senator from the 27th District and served from 1961 to 1964. He was elected and served as the 54th lieutenant governor of Michigan from 1965 to 1969. After George W. Romney resigned to join President Richard Nixon’s cabinet, Milliken took over as governor. Milliken was later elected to full four-year terms in 1970, 1974, and 1978. He was known as a moderate Rockefeller Republican. In June 1982, Milliken helped create the Council of Great Lakes Governors.

As governor for 14 years, Milliken held the longest-serving record in that position in Michigan’s history. Since 1992, governors have been limited to two terms in office, so it is unlikely anyone will serve longer than Milliken. John Engler served as governor for 12 years from 1991 to 2003, becoming the second Republican after Milliken to hold three four-year terms.

In December 1982, Milliken named Dorothy Comstock Riley to the Michigan Supreme Court to fill the empty position left by the death of Blair Moody, Jr. Riley had run for the Supreme Court in the 1982 general election but lost. Milliken was leaving office in less than a month, and the newly elected Democratic governor, James Blanchard, argued that Milliken should not have made the appointment. In 1983, the other Supreme Court justices voted 4–2 to remove Riley from the court, and Blanchard appointed his own choice. Riley was later elected to the court in 1985.

Later life

After leaving his job in public service, Milliken returned to Traverse City. He joined the board of directors for the Chrysler Corporation and led the Center for the Great Lakes, an organization focused on protecting the Great Lakes. He gave a speech at the funeral of Coleman Young, who was the first African American mayor of Detroit.

In presidential elections since 2004, Milliken supported candidates from both major political parties. In 2004, he supported Democratic senator John Kerry in his attempt to defeat George W. Bush. He said, "President George W. Bush does not speak for me or many other moderate Republicans on many important issues." In 2008, he supported Republican John McCain but later withdrew his support after McCain’s campaign criticized Democratic candidate Barack Obama. He told The Grand Rapids Press, "He is not the John McCain I endorsed." Milliken was worried about the Republican Party becoming more rigid, saying, "I think Gerald Ford would agree with me about the direction of the party." In August 2016, Milliken announced he would vote for Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, stating that Donald Trump did not represent Republican values.

In Michigan elections, Milliken supported candidates from both parties. In 2010, he supported Republican Rick Snyder in the governor’s race and continued to support him in the general election. In 2014, he supported Snyder for a second term. During the 2014 Senate election, he supported Democrat Gary Peters instead of Republican Terri Lynn Land.

In 2015, Milliken signed a legal document supporting the right to same-sex marriage.

Death

On October 18, 2019, Milliken passed away at his home in Traverse City after many years of health problems. His body was cremated and placed in a burial site on Mackinac Island, next to his wife, Helen, and daughter, Elaine. On August 6, 2020, a memorial service was held for him at the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

Honors

• In 1976, Governor Milliken received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Yale University, the same school he attended.
• In 2006, Dave Dempsey wrote a biography about Milliken titled William G. Milliken: Michigan's Passionate Moderate.
• In fall 2009, the state of Michigan created a new state park called William G. Milliken State Park and Harbor. It is located on the riverfront in Detroit and was named in honor of the former governor.
• Rooms 290, 291, and 292 at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island are together called the Milliken Suite. These rooms are on the second floor at the east end and overlook the golf course.