Carl Elias Milliken (July 13, 1877May 1, 1961) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

, and

business executive A business executive is a person responsible for running an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. Executives run companies or government agencies. They create plans to help their organizations g ...

. He served as the 51st

Governor of Maine The governor of Maine is the head of government of the U.S. state of Maine. Before Maine was admitted to the Union in 1820, Maine was part of Massachusetts and the governor of Massachusetts was chief executive. The current governor of Maine is Ja ...

, and was the Chief Spokesman for the

Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, as well as the video streaming service Netflix. Founded in 1922 as the Motion Picture Producers and Distribu ...

Early life and education

A native of

Pittsfield, Maine Pittsfield is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,908 at the 2020 census. Pittsfield is home to the Maine Central Institute, a semi-private boarding school, and the annual Central Maine Egg Festival. History ...

, Milliken was the son of Charles Arthur Milliken and Phoebe Ellen Knowlton. Milliken graduated from

Bates College Bates College () is a private liberal arts college in Lewiston, Maine. Anchored by the Historic Quad, the campus of Bates totals with a small urban campus which includes 33 Victorian Houses as some of the dormitories. It maintains of nature p ...

in 1897. He went on to receive his

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.

from

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

in 1899, before moving to

Island Falls, Maine Island Falls is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 758 at the 2020 census. The primary village of Island Falls in the town is situated at a falls in the West Branch Mattawamkeag River. Geography According to ...

to enter the lumber business.

Early business career

During the next six years, Milliken held positions as general manager of two lumber companies and an axe manufacturer and as president of a local telephone company.

Political career

His political career began in 1905, when he was elected to the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via p ...

. Milliken moved up to the

Maine State Senate The Maine Senate is the upper house of the Maine Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maine. The Senate currently consists of 35 members representing an equal number of districts across the state, though the Maine Constitution ...

in 1909, and was president of that body from 1913 to 1915.

As governor

Running for

as a Republican Party candidate in 1916, Milliken easily defeated the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

incumbent, Oakley C. Curtis. He was reelected in 1918, this time by a smaller margin over Bertrand McIntire. As governor, he strictly enforced state and federal alcohol prohibition laws, which he strongly supported. Milliken lost renomination to

Frederic Hale Parkhurst Frederic Hale Parkhurst (November 5, 1864 – January 31, 1921) was an American politician. He was the 52nd Governor of Maine. Biography He graduated from Washington, D.C.'s Columbian Law School (now George Washington University Law School) ...

in the 1920 Republican primary.http://bridgton.advantage-preservation.com/Viewer/?k=milliken%20parkhurst&i=f&by=1920&bdd=1920&d=01011920-12311920&m=between&fn=the_bridgton_news_usa_maine_bridgton_19200625_english_2&df=1&dt=10

Motion Picture career

Milliken left office on January 5, 1921. The following year, he became executive secretary and chief spokesman of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors Association (later the

), the movie industry's first self-censorship body. Milliken served as executive secretary for more than two decades, retiring in 1947.

In retirement

After stepping down from the MPAA, Milliken served as the managing trustee of Teaching Film Custodians, a trust for educational films, and also served a term as president of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society.

Personal life

Milliken married twice. His first wife, the former Emma Chase, died in 1930. He then married her sister, Caroline Chase. With his first wife, Milliken had one son and six daughters. His first wife was the daughter of his alma mater's president

George Colby Chase George Colby Chase (March 15, 1844 - May 27, 1919) was an American intellectual and professor of English who served as the second President of Bates College succeeding its founder, Oren Burbank Cheney, from March 1894 to November 1919. Known as "t ...

, while his second wife was Chase's other daughter.

References

* "Ex-Gov. Milliken of Maine was 83." ''New York Times'', 2 May 1961: 37.
Senate Presidents - Maine Legislature - Carl E. Milliken
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milliken, Carl E. Republican Party governors of Maine Bates College alumni Harvard University alumni People from Pittsfield, Maine 1877 births 1961 deaths American media executives Maine Progressives (1912) People from Aroostook County, Maine Republican Party members of the Maine House of Representatives Republican Party Maine state senators