Helen Wallbank Milliken was an American women's rights activist, environmentalist, and former First Lady of Michigan.
14 Facts About Helen Milliken
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Helen Milliken was known for her activism on behalf of many causes throughout her life.
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Helen Milliken enrolled in Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, after high school, where she earned a bachelor's degree in 1945.
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Helen Milliken was then a student at Yale University, but he was stationed at Lowry Field's aerial gunnery school for training in the United States Army Air Corps.
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Helen and William Milliken moved to his native Traverse City, Michigan, after his graduation from Yale University in 1946.
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Helen Milliken raised their two children while William worked for the family business, the now defunct Milliken's Department Store.
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Helen Milliken first entered the political arena when her husband was elected a State Senator in 1960.
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William Helen Milliken was elected as Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, serving under Governor George Romney.
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Helen Milliken succeeded to the position of Governor of Michigan in 1969 when Romney resigned to become United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development within President Richard Nixon's cabinet.
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Helen Milliken served as First Lady for fourteen years, the longest tenure of any First Lady in state history.
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In particular, Helen Milliken became one of Michigan's leading supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment and was affiliated with ERAmerica.
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In 1994, Democratic Michigan gubernatorial nominee Howard Wolpe asked Helen Milliken to be his running mate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan.
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Helen Milliken was defeated in the 1994 general election by incumbent Republican Michigan Governor John Engler.
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Helen Milliken endorsed Jennifer Granholm for Governor of Michigan, as well as Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry, during the 2004 US presidential election.