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Frank Fitzgerald | |
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| 34th & 36th Governor of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1939 – March 16, 1939 | |
| Lieutenant | Luren Dickinson |
| Preceded by | Frank Murphy |
| Succeeded by | Luren Dickinson |
| In office January 1, 1935 – January 1, 1937 | |
| Lieutenant | Thomas Read |
| Preceded by | William Comstock |
| Succeeded by | Frank Murphy |
| 30thSecretary of State of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1931 – January 1, 1935 | |
| Governor | Wilber M. Brucker William Comstock |
| Preceded by | John S. Haggerty |
| Succeeded by | Clarke W. Brown |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Frank Dwight Fitzgerald (1885-01-27)January 27, 1885 |
| Died | March 16, 1939(1939-03-16) (aged 54) Grand Ledge, Michigan, US |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Queena M. Warner |
Frank Dwight Fitzgerald (January 27, 1885 – March 16, 1939) was an Americanpolitician. He was elected as the 34th and 36thgovernor of Michigan and was the only Michigan governor to die in office.
Fitzgerald was born on January 27, 1885, inGrand Ledge, Michigan, to politicianJohn Wesley Fitzgerald. He married Queena M. Warner on June 28, 1909, having one child together. He was also the father ofJohn W. Fitzgerald, aMichigan State Senator and justice of theMichigan Supreme Court as well as chief justice in 1982. Fitzgerald was also the grandfather ofFrank M. Fitzgerald, who was a member of the Michigan House from the56th District 1987-1992 and71st District 1993–1996, and the great-grandfather ofJohn Fitzgerald, the Democratic State Representative from the83rd District inWyoming. He attended Grand Ledge High School, and received further education at the Ferris Institute (nowFerris State University) inBig Rapids.
Fitzgerald entered politics in 1913, serving as clerk of the State House, as well as serving as clerk of the State Senate, a position held six years. He was also deputy secretary of state from 1919 to 1923.[1]
Fitzgerald served as a delegate from Michigan to the1924 Republican National Convention at whichincumbentCalvin Coolidge was nominated for President. He was a member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1925–1926 and secretary of theMichigan Republican Party, 1929–30. In 1931, he was electedSecretary of State of Michigan. He served as a delegate to the1932 Republican National Convention, when the convention nominated incumbent PresidentHerbert Hoover. Hoover ultimately lost toFranklin D. Roosevelt in the1932 General Election.
In 1934, Fitzgerald resigned from office to run for Governor of Michigan. He was elected, defeatingDemocrat Arthur J. Lacy and served a full two-year term.[2] During his term, the state budget was balanced and the consolidation of state agencies was promoted. He was a delegate to the1936 Republican National Convention, which nominatedAlf Landon, who ultimately lost to Roosevelt in the 1936 General Election. Later that year, Fitzgerald was defeated in his bid for re-election as governor by DemocratFrank Murphy.
Fitzgerald's son,John Warner Fitzgerald, was a Michigan State Senator and Michigan Supreme Court Justice.[3] Fitzgerald's grandson,Frank M. Fitzgerald, served in the Michigan State House of Representatives between 1986 and 1998.[4] Fitzgerald's great-grandson,John W. Fitzgerald, is a Democratic State Representative for the 83rd Michigan House District, which includes portions of the City of Grand Rapids and the City of Wyoming.[5]
Fitzgerald defeated Murphy in 1938, and joinedJohn S. Barry as the only two people to serve non-consecutive terms as Governor of Michigan. He suffered a heart attack after battling the flu and died in office, in Grand Ledge, on March 16, 1939, aged 54.[6] Fitzgerald was the only Michigan governor to die in office and was succeeded byLieutenant GovernorLuren Dickinson. He was also one of only four governors to lie in state in theCapitol Building.[7][8]
Fizgerald was a member of theFreemasons,Fraternal Order of Eagles,Shriners,Knights of Pythias,Knights of the Maccabees andOdd Fellows. He is interred at Oakwood Cemetery in Grand Ledge, Michigan. In the city ofWarren,Fitzgerald High School was named in honor of the former governor on Ryan Road.[2]
Mason is the fourth to lie in state at the Capitol.
| Party political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Republican nominee forGovernor of Michigan 1934,1936,1938 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Michigan Secretary of State 1931–1934 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Governor of Michigan 1935–1937 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Frank Murphy | Governor of Michigan 1939 | Succeeded by |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
