Merlin Wiley (May 7, 1875April 24, 1963) was a Michigan politician.

Early life

Wiley was born on May 7, 1875, in

Shepherd, Michigan Shepherd is a village in Isabella County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,469 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Coe Township. History The community was first settled by lumberman Isaac Shepherd and others alo ...

to Edgar James Wiley and Leona Wiley.

Education

Wiley graduated from

Sault Ste. Marie Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...

High School. Wiley graduated from the University of Michigan twice, once from the Literary Department in 1902 and once from the Law Department in 1904.

Career

Wiley started practicing law in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 1904. Wiley served as Chippewa County prosecuting attorney from 1909 to 1910. On November 3, 1914, Wiley was elected to the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

where he represented the Chippewa County district from January 6, 1915, to 1920. Wiley served as Michigan Attorney General from 1921 to 1923. Wiley resigned in 1923.

Personal life

Wiley married Helen Seymour in 1910. Together they had two children. Wiley was a member of the American Bar Association, the

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

, and the

Shriners Shriners International, formally known as the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine (AAONMS), is an American Masonic society established in 1870 and is headquartered in Tampa, Florida. Shriners International describes itself ...

. Wiley was a

Freemason Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...

Death

Wiley died on April 24, 1963, in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

. Wiley was interred at Riverside Cemetery in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

References

1875 births 1963 deaths American Freemasons Michigan Attorneys General University of Michigan alumni People from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Burials in Michigan 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American lawyers {{Michigan-politician-stub