1947 in Michigan
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Events from the year 1947 in Michigan.
The Associated Press polled editors of its member newspapers in Michigan and ranked the state's top news stories of 1947 as follows:[1]
- Death of Henry Ford (227 points)
- Judge Frank Albert Picard decision (143 points)
- Terpenning murder (137 points)
- Corrections department probe (134 points)
- UAW contracts with GM, Ford, and Chrysler (129 points)
- 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team (117 points)
- Spring floods (103 points)
- Budget dilemma (94 points)
- Skillman grand jury (59 points)
- Detroit Tigers' sale of Hank Greenberg to the Pittsburgh Pirates (51 points)
Office holders
State office holders
- Governor of Michigan: Kim Sigler (Republican)
- Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Eugene C. Keyes (Republican)
- Michigan Attorney General: Eugene F. Black (Republican)
- Michigan Secretary of State: Frederick M. Alger Jr. (Republican)
- Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Victor A. Knox (Republican)
- Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: Leland W. Carr
Mayors of major cities
- Mayor of Detroit: Edward Jeffries (Republican)
- Mayor of Grand Rapids: George W. Welsh (Republican)
- Mayor of Flint: Edward J. Viall
- Mayor of Dearborn: Orville L. Hubbard
- Mayor of Saginaw: Harold J. Stenglein
- Mayor of Lansing: Ralph Crego
- Mayor of Ann Arbor: William E. Brown Jr.
Federal office holders
- U.S. Senator from Michigan: Homer S. Ferguson (Republican)
- U.S. Senator from Michigan: Arthur Vandenberg (Republican)
- House District 1: George G. Sadowski (Democrat)
- House District 2: Earl C. Michener (Republican)
- House District 3: Paul W. Shafer (Republican)
- House District 4: Clare Hoffman (Republican)
- House District 5: Bartel J. Jonkman (Republican)
- House District 6: William W. Blackney (Republican)
- House District 7: Jesse P. Wolcott (Republican)
- House District 8: Fred L. Crawford (Republican)
- House District 9: Albert J. Engel (Republican)
- House District 10: Roy O. Woodruff (Republican)
- House District 11: Frederick Van Ness Bradley (Republican)
- House District 12: John B. Bennett (Republican)
- House District 13: Howard A. Coffin (Republican)
- House District 14: Harold F. Youngblood (Republican)
- House District 15: John D. Dingell Sr. (Democrat)
- House District 16: John Lesinski Sr. (Democrat)
- House District 17: George Anthony Dondero (Republican)
Population
In the 1940 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 5,256,106, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1950, Michigan's population had increased by 21.2% to 6,371,766.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 20,000 based on 1940 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1930 and 1950 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
| 1940 Rank |
City | County | 1940 Pop. | 1946 Est. | 1950 Pop. | Change 1940-50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit | Wayne | 1,623,452 | 1,815,000[2] | 1,849,568 | 13.9% |
| 2 | Grand Rapids | Kent | 164,292 | 176,515 | 7.4% | |
| 3 | Flint | Genesee | 151,543 | 163,143 | 7.7% | |
| 4 | Saginaw | Saginaw | 82,794 | 92,918 | 12.2% | |
| 5 | Lansing | Ingham | 78,753 | 90,000[3] | 92,129 | 17.0% |
| 6 | Pontiac | Oakland | 66,626 | 73,681 | 10.6% | |
| 7 | Dearborn | Wayne | 63,589 | 94,994 | 49.4% | |
| 8 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 54,097 | 57,704 | 6.7% | |
| 9 | Highland Park | Wayne | 50,810 | 46,393 | −8.7% | |
| 10 | Hamtramck | Wayne | 49,839 | 48,938[4] | 43,555 | −12.6% |
| 11 | Jackson | Jackson | 49,656 | 51,088 | 2.9% | |
| 12 | Bay City | Bay | 47,956 | 52,523 | 9.5% | |
| 13 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 47,697 | 48,429 | 1.5% | |
| 14 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 43,453 | 48,666 | 12.0% | |
| 15 | Port Huron | St. Clair | 32,759 | 35,725 | 9.1% | |
| 16 | Wyandotte | Wayne | 30,618 | 36,846 | 20.3% | |
| 17 | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw | 29,815 | 48,251 | 61.8% | |
| 18 | Royal Oak | Oakland | 25,087 | 46,898 | 86.9% | |
| 19 | Ferndale | Oakland | 22,523 | 29,675 | 31.8% | |
Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 75,000 based on 1940 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1930 and 1950 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases.
| 1940 Rank |
County | Largest city | 1930 Pop. | 1940 Pop. | 1950 Pop. | Change 1940-50 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wayne | Detroit | 1,888,946 | 2,015,623 | 2,435,235 | 20.8% |
| 2 | Oakland | Pontiac | 211,251 | 254,068 | 396,001 | 55.9% |
| 3 | Kent | Grand Rapids | 240,511 | 246,338 | 288,292 | 17.0% |
| 4 | Genesee | Flint | 211,641 | 227,944 | 270,963 | 18.9% |
| 5 | Ingham | Lansing | 116,587 | 130,616 | 172,941 | 32.4% |
| 6 | Saginaw | Saginaw | 120,717 | 130,468 | 153,515 | 17.7% |
| 7 | Macomb | Warren | 77,146 | 107,638 | 184,961 | 71.8% |
| 8 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 91,368 | 100,085 | 126,707 | 26.6% |
| 9 | Jackson | Jackson | 92,304 | 93,108 | 108,168 | 16.2% |
| 10 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 84,630 | 94,501 | 121,545 | 28.6% |
| 11 | Calhoun | Battle Creek | 87,043 | 94,206 | 120,813 | 28.2% |
Companies
The following is a list of major companies based in Michigan in 1947.
| Company | 1947 sales (millions) | 1947 net earnings (millions) | Headquarters | Core business |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Motors | Detroit | Automobiles | ||
| Ford Motor Company | na | na[5] | Automobiles | |
| Chrysler | Automobiles | |||
| Studebaker Corp. | Automobiles | |||
| Briggs Mfg. Co. | Detroit | Automobile parts supplier | ||
| S. S. Kresge | Retail | |||
| Hudson Motor Car Co. | Detroit | Automobiles | ||
| Detroit Edison | Electric utility | |||
| Michigan Bell | Telephone utility | |||
| Kellogg's | Battle Creek | Breakfast cereal | ||
| Parke-Davis | Detroit | Pharmaceutical | ||
| REO Motor Car Co. | Lansing | Automobiles | ||
| Burroughs Adding Machine | Business machines |
Sports
Baseball
- 1947 Detroit Tigers season – The Tigers compiled an 85–69 record and finished in second place in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included George Kell with a .320 batting average and 93 RBIs, Roy Cullenbine with 24 home runs, and Hal Newhouser with a 2.87 earned run average.[6]
- 1947 Michigan Wolverines baseball season - Under head coach Ray Fisher, the Wolverines compiled an 18–10 record.[7] Cliff Wise was the team captain.[8]
American football
- 1947 Detroit Lions season – The Lions compiled a 3–9 record under head coach Gus Dorais. The team's statistical leaders included Clyde LeForce with 1,384 passing yards, Camp Wilson with 412 rushing yards, and John Greene with 621 receiving yards.[9]
- 1947 Michigan Wolverines football team – Under head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a perfect 10–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, and defeated the USC Trojans by a score of 49–0 in the 1948 Rose Bowl game.[10]
- 1947 Michigan State Spartans football team – [11]
- 1947 Detroit Titans football team – [12]
Basketball
- 1946–47 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team – The team compiled a 12–8 record under head coach Osborne Cowles. Mack Supronowicz was the team's leading scorer with 228 points in 20 games for an average of 11.4 points per game. Pete Elliott was the team captain.[13]
Ice hockey
- 1946–47 Detroit Red Wings season – Under coach Jack Adams, the Red Wings compiled a 22–27–11 record. The team's statistical leaders included Roy Conacher with 30 goals and Billy Taylor with 46 assists and 63 points.[14]
Boat racing
- APBA Gold Cup – Danny Foster
- Harmsworth Cup –
- Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race –
Boxing
Golfing
Other
Chronology of events
Births
- March 12 - Mitt Romney, businessman and politician who served as Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007) and the Republican presidential candidate (2012), in Detroit
- April 21 - Iggy Pop, singer, songwriter, musician, producer and actor, and vocalist of The Stooges, in Muskegon, Michigan
- August 5 - Bernie Carbo, Major League Baseball outfielder (1969–1980), in Detroit