1. William Grawn Milliken was an American businessman and politician who served as the 44th governor of Michigan from 1969 to 1983.
19 Facts About William Milliken
1. 2.
William Milliken oversaw the PBB crisis and adopted a policy of environmental protection and conservation.
3.
William Milliken received seven military honors, including the Purple Heart and Air Medal.
4.
Helen William Milliken died at the age of 89 on November 16,2012, at their Traverse City home, from ovarian cancer.
5.
In 1960, William Milliken was elected as a state senator from the 27th District, serving from 1961 to 1964.
6.
William Milliken was elected and served as the 54th lieutenant governor of Michigan from 1965 to 1969.
7.
William Milliken succeeded to the position of governor after George W Romney resigned from office to serve in President Richard Nixon's cabinet.
8.
William Milliken was elected to full four-year terms in his own right in 1970,1974, and 1978.
9.
William Milliken was considered to be a moderate Rockefeller Republican.
10.
John Engler served for 12 years as governor from 1991 to 2003, making him the second Republican after William Milliken to serve three four-year terms.
11.
In December 1982, William Milliken appointed Dorothy Comstock Riley to the Michigan Supreme Court to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Blair Moody, Jr.
12.
William Milliken was leaving office in less than a month and newly elected Democratic governor James Blanchard argued he should have made the appointment to replace Moody rather than William Milliken.
13.
William Milliken soon joined the board of directors of the Chrysler Corporation and chaired the Center for the Great Lakes, a research center dedicated to the protection of the Great Lakes.
14.
William Milliken spoke at the funeral of former Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young in 1997, who was the first African American elected as mayor of that city.
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In presidential elections since 2004, William Milliken expressed support for several Democratic candidates.
16.
In Michigan state elections, William Milliken supported candidates from both parties.
17.
In 2015, William Milliken signed an amicus brief in support of same-sex marriage.
18.
On October 18,2019, William Milliken died at his home in Traverse City after years of declining health.
19.
William Milliken's remains were cremated and buried on Mackinac Island next to wife, Helen and daughter, Elaine.