Events from the year 1926 in Michigan.

Office holders

State office holders

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the stat ...

: Alex J. Groesbeck ( Republican) *

Lieutenant Governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

George W. Welsh George W. Welsh was a Republican politician from Michigan who served as the 37th lieutenant governor of Michigan, in the Michigan House of Representatives including as its Speaker during the 52nd Legislature, and as the mayor of Grand Rapids, Mic ...

(Republican) * Michigan Attorney General: Clare Retan (Republican) * Michigan Secretary of State: Charles J. DeLand (Republican) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Fred B. Wells (Republican) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: John E. Bird

Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit: John W. Smith *

Mayor of Grand Rapids This is a list of mayors of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The current mayor is Rosalynn Bliss, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2016. References {{Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids, Michigan Grand Rapids is a city and county seat ...

: Elvin Swarthout * Mayor of Flint:

Judson L. Transue Judson Lincoln Transue (February 15, 1897 – December 17, 1980) was a Michigan politician. Political life He was elected as the Mayor of City of Flint in 1924 for three 1 year terms. Transue was supported by the Ku Klux Klan The K ...

Mayor of Lansing List Lansing, Michigan, was incorporated as a city on February 15, 1859. * Hiram H. Smith, 1859 * John A. Kerr, 1860 * William H. Chapman, 1861–62 * Dr. Ira H. Bartholomew, 1863–65 * Dr. William H. Haze, 1866 * George W. Peck, 1867 * ...

: Alfred H. Doughty *

Mayor of Saginaw This is a list of mayors of Saginaw, Michigan. City of East Saginaw 1859–1889 The City of East Saginaw was incorporated in 1859 and existed until it was consolidated with the City of Saginaw in 1889 (effective 1890). The City Charter was granted ...

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:

James J. Couzens James J. Couzens (August 26, 1872October 22, 1936) was an American businessman, politician and philanthropist. He served as mayor of Detroit (1919–1922) and U.S. Senator from Michigan (1922–1936). Prior to entering politics he served as vice ...

(Republican) * U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Woodbridge N. Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris (January 6, 1853March 23, 1928) was an American educator from New York, Illinois and Michigan who served as the 28th governor of Michigan and in the United States Senate as a Democrat. Early life in New York, Michigan a ...

(Democrat) * House District 1:

John B. Sosnowski John Bartholomew Sosnowski (December 8, 1883 – July 16, 1968) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Sosnowski was born in a Polish family in Detroit, Michigan, and attended the parochial and Army schools. During the Spanish–Ameri ...

(Republican) * House District 2: Earl C. Michener (Republican) * House District 3:

Joseph L. Hooper Joseph Lawrence Hooper (December 22, 1877 – February 22, 1934) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Hooper was born in Cleveland, Ohio on December 22, 1877 and moved to Michigan with his parents, who settled in Battle Creek, Mich ...

(Republican) * House District 4:

John C. Ketcham John Clark Ketcham (January 1, 1873 – December 4, 1941) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Ketcham was born in Toledo, Ohio, and moved with his parents to Maple Grove, Michigan near Nashville, the same year. He attended the co ...

(Republican) * House District 5: Carl E. Mapes (Republican) * House District 6:

Grant M. Hudson Grant Martin Hudson (July 23, 1868 – October 26, 1955) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Hudson was born in Eaton Township, Lorain County, Ohio. He attended the common schools and graduated from Kalamazoo College, Kalamazo ...

(Republican) *

House District 7 A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

Louis C. Cramton Louis Convers Cramton (December 2, 1875 – June 23, 1966) was a politician and jurist from the U.S. state of Michigan. Cramton was born in Hadley Township, Michigan and attended the common schools of Lapeer County. He graduated from Lapeer ...

(Republican) * House District 8:

Bird J. Vincent Bird J. Vincent (March 6, 1880 – July 18, 1931) was a soldier and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Early life Vincent was born in Brandon Township near Clarkston, Michigan. Education Vincent attended the public schools of Oakla ...

(Republican) * House District 9:

James C. McLaughlin James Campbell McLaughlin (January 26, 1858 – November 29, 1932) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. McLaughlin was born in Beardstown, Illinois. His parents, David and Isabella (Campbell) McLaughlin, had come from Edinburgh, Sco ...

(Republican) * House District 10:

Roy O. Woodruff Roy Orchard Woodruff (March 14, 1876 – February 12, 1953) was a politician, soldier, printer, and dentist from the U.S. state of Michigan. Woodruff was born of English and Scottish ancestry to Charles Woodruff and Electa A. (Wallace) Woodruff ...

(Republican) * House District 11:

Frank D. Scott Frank Douglas Scott (August 25, 1878 – February 12, 1951) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Scott was born of Scottish ancestry in Alpena, Michigan, attended the public schools and graduated from the law department of the Univ ...

(Republican) * House District 12: W. Frank James (Republican) * House District 13:

Clarence J. McLeod Clarence John McLeod (July 3, 1895 – May 15, 1959) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. McLeod was born in Detroit, the son of a well-to-do Scottish father who had serve ...

(Republican)

Population

Sports

Baseball

1926 Detroit Tigers season The 1926 Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished sixth in the American League with a record of 79–75, 12 games behind the New York Yankees. Heinie Manush won the AL batting title this year, hitting .378, deny ...

– Under manager Ty Cobb, the Tigers compiled a 79–75 record and finished in sixth place in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included

Heinie Manush Henry Emmett Manush (July 20, 1901 – May 12, 1971), nicknamed "Heinie", was an American baseball outfielder. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1920 to 1939, including 17 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (1 ...

with a .378 batting average and 14 home runs, Harry Heilmann with 101 RBIs, Earl Whitehill with 16 wins, and Rip Collins with a 2.73 earned run average.

American football

1926 Detroit Panthers season The 1926 Detroit Panthers season was their fourth in the league and final season as the Panthers. The team failed to improve on their previous output of 8–2–2, winning only four games. They finished twelfth in the league. Schedule Standin ...

– Under head coach Jimmy Conzelman, the Panthers compiled a 4–6–2 record and finished 12th in the National Football League. Gus Sonnenberg led the team with 34 points scored on nine field goals and seven extra points. *

1926 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1926 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1926 Big Ten Conference football season. In the team's 25th and final season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, Michigan compiled a record of 7–1, outsco ...

– In their 25th season under head coach

Fielding H. Yost Fielding Harris Yost (; April 30, 1871 – August 20, 1946) was an American football player, coach and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at: Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of Nebraska, the University ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 7–1 record and tied for the Big Ten Conference championship. Quarterback

Benny Friedman Benjamin Friedman (March 18, 1905 – November 24, 1982) was an American football player and coach, and athletic administrator. A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Friedman played college football as a halfback and quarterback for the University of ...

and end Bennie Oosterbaan were All-Americans. * 1926 Western State Hilltoppers football team – Under head coach Earl Martineau, the Hilltoppers compiled a 7–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 132 to 20. *

1926 Michigan State Normal Normalites football team The 1926 Michigan State Normal Normalites football team was an American football team that represented Michigan State Normal College (later renamed Eastern Michigan University) as an independent during the 1926 college football season. In their ...

– Under head coach Elton Rynearson, the Normalites compiled a 6–1 record, shut out six of their seven opponents, and outscored all opponents by a total of 113 to 12. *

1926 Detroit Titans football team The 1926 Detroit Titans football team represented the University of Detroit in the 1926 college football season. Detroit was outscored by opponents by a combined total of 132 to 62 and finished with a 3–6–1 record in their second year under ...

– Under head coach Gus Dorais, the Titans compiled a 3–6–1 record and outscored all opponents by a combined 132 to 62. *

1926 Michigan State Spartans football team The 1926 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1926 college football season. In their fourth year under head coach Ralph H. Young, the Spartans compiled a 3–4–1 record and wer ...

– Under head coach

Ralph H. Young Ralph Hayward Young (December 17, 1889 – January 23, 1962) was an American football player, coach of football and basketball, college athletics administrator, and state legislator. He was the head football coach at DePauw University (1915), Kala ...

, the Spartans compiled a 3–4–1 record. *

1926 Central Michigan Dragons football team The 1926 Central Michigan Dragons football team represented Central Michigan Normal School, later renamed Central Michigan University, as an independent during the 1926 college football season. In their fourth non-consecutive season under head c ...

– Under head coach

Wallace Parker Howard Wallace Parker (April 14, 1898 – August 23, 1972), sometimes listed as Herbert Wallace Parker, was the head coach of the Central Michigan college football program from 1921 to 1923 and again from 1926 to 1928. He also served as Central ...

, the Dragons compiled a 3–4–1 record and were outscored by a combined total of 90 to 66.

Basketball

1925–26 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 1925–26 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate college basketball during the 1925–26 season. The team tied with the , Indiana Hoosiers and for the Western Conference Champi ...

– Under head coach

E. J. Mather Edwin J. Mather (June 4, 1887 – August 26, 1928) was an American football and basketball player and coach. He was selected as an All-Western football player while playing for Lake Forest University in 1909 and went on to a coaching career at Ka ...

, the Wolverines compiled a 12–5 record and tied for the Big Ten Conference championship.

Chronology of events

January

* January 1 - The National Automobile Chamber of Commerce announced that vehicle production in 1925 reached an all-time high with 3,883,000 cars and 492,000 trucks. The number of Ford Motor Co. employees in the United States had risen to 191,948. * January 6 - Police supervised the seizure of property at the Detroit headquarters of the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and ...

at East Hancock Avenue and John R. Street following a judgment for nonpayment of rent. Members of the organization threatened violence against reporters covering the event. * January 9 - Police conducted 69 raids resulting in arrests of 29 women and 26 men and seizure of 600 gallons of beer. The raids targeted "prohibition violators, disorderly houses and gambling resorts." * John W. Smith was inaugurated for his second term as Mayor of Detroit. In an address to the city's Common Council, he urged respect for the laws of the city, state and country as a vital factor in American life.

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

* November 2 - A number of elections occurred, including: ** United States House of Representatives - All 13 of Michigan's U.S. Representatives won re-election except for

in Michigan's 1st congressional district, who was not renominated and was replaced by fellow Republican,

Robert H. Clancy Robert Henry Clancy (March 14, 1882 – April 23, 1962) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Clancy was born in Detroit, Michigan, where he attended the public schools. He graduated from the literary department of the University ...

, and

in Michigan's 11th congressional district, who was also not renominated and was replaced by fellow Republican, Frank P. Bohn. The delegation remained entirely Republican. ** Michigan Governor - Republican nominee,

Fred W. Green Fred Warren Green (October 19, 1871November 30, 1936) was an American politician who served as the 31st governor of Michigan from 1927 to 1931, and he was the mayor of Ionia, Michigan, from 1913 to 1916. Active in athletics during his time as ...

, defeated Democratic nominee

William Comstock William Alfred Comstock (July 2, 1877 – June 16, 1949) was an American politician as the 33rd governor of Michigan. Early life Born in 1877 in Alpena, Michigan, he attended the University of Michigan, where he was admitted to the Zeta Psi fra ...

December

Births

* January 29 -

Bob Hollway Robert Hollway (January 29, 1926 – March 13, 1999) was an American football player and coach. He played college football for the University of Michigan and was a member of Michigan's undefeated 1947 and 1948 teams. He thereafter served as an ...

, assistant coach in NFL (1967–1986), 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 ...

* March 4 -

Richard DeVos Richard Marvin DeVos Sr. (March 4, 1926 – September 6, 2018) was an American billionaire businessman, co-founder of Amway with Jay Van Andel (company restructured as Alticor in 2000), and owner of the Orlando Magic basketball team. In 2012 ...

, co-founder of Amway, in Grand Rapids, Michigan * March 24 - William Porter, gold medalist in 110 m hurdles at 1948 Olympics, in Essex Township, Michigan * March 29 -

Joseph Ponsetto Joseph Ponsetto (March 29, 1926 – November 24, 2004) was an American football player who was the starting quarterback for the University of Michigan Wolverines football teams of 1944 and 1945. Playing under head coach Fritz Crisler, Ponset ...

, quarterback for Michigan (1944-1945), in

Kent County, Michigan Kent County is located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the county had a population of 657,974, making it the fourth most populous county in Michigan, and the largest outside of the Detroit area. Its county seat is Grand ...

* April 30 -

Ed Bagdon Edward Bagdon (April 30, 1926 – October 25, 1990) was an American football offensive lineman in the National Football League for the Chicago Cardinals and the Washington Redskins. He played college football at Michigan State University ...

, lineman for Michigan State who won the 1948 Outland Trophy and then played in NFL (1950-1953), in

Dearborn, Michigan Dearborn is a city in Wayne County in the U.S. state of Michigan. At the 2020 census, it had a population of 109,976. Dearborn is the seventh most-populated city in Michigan and is home to the largest Muslim population in the United States pe ...

* July 8 - John Dingell, U.S. House of Representatives (1955-2015), in

Colorado Springs, Colorado Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

* August 21 -

Dick Rifenburg Richard Gale Rifenburg (August 21, 1926 – December 5, 1994) was an American football player and a pioneering television broadcaster for the forerunner to WIVB-TV in Buffalo. He played college football for the University of Michigan Wolverin ...

, All-American football end at Michigan and in NFL, in

Petoskey, Michigan Petoskey ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat and largest city in Emmet County. Part of Northern Michigan, Petoskey is a popular Midwestern resort town, as it sits on the shore of Little Traverse Bay, a bay of La ...

* September 19 - James Lipton, writer, lyricist, actor and dean emeritus of the Actors Studio Drama School and host of Inside the Actors Studio, in Detroit * September 29 -

Philip Ruppe Philip Edward Ruppe (born September 29, 1926) is an American former politician from the U.S. state of Michigan and a member of the Republican Party. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1967 to 1979 before running, unsuccessfully ...

, U.S. House of Representatives (1967-1979), in

Laurium, Michigan Laurium (; or ) is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The population was 1,977 at the 2010 census. The village is mostly surrounded by Calumet Township, with ...

* October 19 -

Joel Feinberg Joel Feinberg (October 19, 1926 in Detroit, Michigan – March 29, 2004 in Tucson, Arizona) was an American political and legal philosopher. He is known for his work in the fields of ethics, action theory, philosophy of law, and political phil ...

, political and legal philosopher, in Detroit * November 4 -

Tubby Raymond Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond (November 14, 1926 – December 8, 2017) was an American football and baseball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Delaware from 1966 to 2001, compiling a record of 300–119–3 ...

, head football coach at Delaware (1966-2001) inducted into College Football Hall of Fame, in

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

Deaths

* March 28 -

John Treadway Rich John Treadway Rich (April 23, 1841 – March 28, 1926) was an American politician serving as a U.S. Representative and the 23rd governor of Michigan. Early life in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Michigan Rich was born in Conneautville, Pennsylvania, ...

, Governor of Michigan (1893-1897) and U.S. Congressman from Michigan (1881–1883), at age 84 in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

* October 31 -

Harry Houdini Harry Houdini (, born Erik Weisz; March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926) was a Hungarian-American escape artist, magic man, and stunt performer, noted for his escape acts. His pseudonym is a reference to his spiritual master, French magician ...

, stage musician and stunt performer, at age 52 in Detroit

References

{{Michigan year nav

Office holders

State office holders

Mayors of major cities

Federal office holders

Population

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Chronology of events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Births

Deaths

See also

References