Murray Van Wagoner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 38th Governor of Michigan | |
| In office January 1, 1941 – January 1, 1943 | |
| Lieutenant | Frank Murphy |
| Preceded by | Luren Dickinson |
| Succeeded by | Harry Kelly |
| 5thMichigan State Highway Commissioner | |
| In office June 30, 1933 – December 31, 1940 | |
| Governor | William Comstock Frank Fitzgerald Frank Murphy Frank Fitzgerald Luren Dickinson |
| Preceded by | Grover C. Dillman |
| Succeeded by | Donald Kennedy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 18, 1898 Kingston, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | June 12, 1986 (aged 88) Farmington Hills, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Helen Jossman |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Murray Delos Van Wagoner (March 18, 1898 – June 12, 1986) was an American politician. He served as the 38thgovernor of Michigan from 1941 to 1943.
Van Wagoner was born nearKingston, Michigan inTuscola County. In 1921, he received acivil engineering degree from theUniversity of Michigan. He worked for a firm in the private sector, and became the owner of his own company. He married Helen Jossman and they had two children together.
Van Wagoner served asOakland County drain commissioner from 1930 until 1933, when he becameMichigan State Highway commissioner, a position he held until he was elected governor in 1940. He was a delegate to theDemocratic National Conventions in1936 and1940, both of which re-nominatedFranklin D. Roosevelt for U.S. President.
On November 5, 1940, he defeated the incumbentRepublicanGovernor of Michigan,Luren Dickinson, by 131,281 votes to become Michigan's 38th governor. During his two years in office, he encouraged the construction of road projects and most famously theMackinac Bridge, the elimination of a 27 million dollar deficit occurred, the state mental hospital was reinstated, a consolidated tax collection department was established, worker strikes involving the auto and electrical industries were dealt with, the reorganization of the Michigan civil service system was initialized, and measures were secured for the war effort.
In 1942, Van Wagoner was unsuccessful for re-election againstRepublicanHarry Kelly. Van Wagoner was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in1944, which re-nominated President Roosevelt for his fourth term. In 1946, he ran for governor again and was defeated by RepublicanKim Sigler.
In October 1947, GeneralLucius D. Clay appointed Van Wagoner to the post of military governor ofBavaria, succeeding Brigadier General Walter J. Muller.[1] While military governor, he warned BavarianMinister-PresidentHans Ehard against replacing non-Nazi public servants with former Nazis.[2]
Van Wagoner resigned the post in November 1949.[3]
He was a delegate to the1952 Democratic National Convention, which nominatedAdlai Stevenson forPresident of the United States. Stevenson lost the general election to GeneralDwight D. Eisenhower.
Van Wagoner retired from political life and returned to his engineering interests. He was a member ofAmerican Legion,Freemasons,Elks, and theNational Exchange Club. He died at the age of eighty-eight inFarmington Hills, Michigan. He is interred atWhite Chapel Memorial Cemetery inTroy, Michigan.
Today theMichigan Department of Transportation building inLansing is named after him,The Murray Van Wagoner Transportation Building.[4] A portrait of Governor Van Wagoner, painted byJohn Coppin, hangs in the rotunda of theMichigan State Capitol.[5]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Michigan 1940,1942 | Succeeded by Edward J. Fry |
| Preceded by Edward J. Fry | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Michigan 1946 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Michigan 1941–1943 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
