Events from the year 1941 in Michigan.

Top stories

The Associated Press polled editors of its member newspapers in Michigan and ranked the state's top news stories of 1941 as follows: # Ford strike. A 10-day strike by the United Auto Workers closed the company's Rouge plant, the world's largest factory, from April 1 to April 11. Following skirmishes on the picket lines, injunctions, and court hearings, Ford signed the industry's first contract granting workers the

union shop In labor law, a union shop, also known as a post-entry closed shop, is a form of a union security clause. Under this, the employer agrees to either only hire labor union members or to require that any new employees who are not already union memb ...

and providing a checkoff system for payment of union dues. The Ford strike dominated the voting with 203 out of 240 points. # Conversion to Arsenal of Democracy. The rapid transformation of Michigan's industrial might from the production of automobiles to the production of airplanes, tanks, and guns. New plant construction included Ford's $18 million dollar Willow Run bomber plant in Ypsilanti, the Chrysler Tank Arsenal in

Warren A warren is a network of wild rodent or lagomorph, typically rabbit burrows. Domestic warrens are artificial, enclosed establishment of animal husbandry dedicated to the raising of rabbits for meat and fur. The term evolved from the medieval Angl ...

, and the $20 million Hudson Naval Ordnance Plant in

Center Line Center line, centre line or centerline may refer to: Sports * Center line, marked in red on an ice hockey rink * Centre line (football), a set of positions on an Australian rules football field * Centerline, a line that separates the service cour ...

. (134 points) # Sault Ste. Marie bridge collapse. On October 7, a 330-foot bascule bridge from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, collapsed under the weight of a passing 35-car freight train. The locomotive crashed through the span, resulting in the death of the engineer and brakeman and a two-day closure of the Soo Locks. The closure halted the shipment of iron ore from the Iron Range for use in defense industries. (120 points) # Feud between Governor and Legislature. Democratic Governor

Murray Van Wagoner Murray Delos Van Wagoner (March 18, 1898June 12, 1986) was an American politician. He served as the 38th governor of Michigan from 1941 to 1943. Early life Van Wagoner was born near Kingston, Michigan in Tuscola County. In 1921, he received ...

butted heads with the Republican-controlled Legislature. Van Wagoner exercised his veto power 35 times, and the Republicans lacked sufficient numbers to override the vetoes. Republicans retaliated by delaying the effective dates of many laws. (118 points) # McKay trial. The fraud trial of Frank McKay, former member of the Republican National Committee, and 11 others in Detroit federal court on charges that he participated in a $500,000 liquor fraud ended when Judge

Arthur F. Lederle Arthur F. Lederle (November 25, 1887 – April 29, 1972) was a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Education and career Born in Leland, Michigan, Lederle graduated from East ...

declared a mistrial on July 12. The jury had deliberated for 32 hours over five days without reaching a verdict. The jury foreman and two other jurors stated that they believed something was amiss and that the holdout jurors had been bribed or tampered with. (116 points) # Detroit corruption convictions. A one-man grand jury investigation by Wayne County judge

Homer S. Ferguson Homer Samuel Ferguson (February 25, 1889December 17, 1982) was an American attorney, professor, judge, United States senator from Michigan, Ambassador to the Philippines, and later a judge on the United States Court of Military Appeals. Educa ...

(later a U.S. Senator from Michigan) pursued government corruption and resulted in (i) the May suicide of indicted contractor Abe Smith by jumping from the 14th floor of a Chicago Hotel, and convictions of three Detroit city councilmen (John F. Hamilton, Robert G. Ewald, Harry I. Dingeman) for taking bribes in connection with the $8.3 million dollar

Herman Gardens Herman Gardens was a public housing project located in the northwest area of Detroit, Michigan. History Built in 1943, Herman Gardens, known locally as "the Gardens", had 2,144 units primarily within two-story multi-family buildings. The 129-uni ...

public housing project; (ii) the conviction of former Detroit Mayor Richard Reading for protecting the numbers racket; (iii) the April convictions of Wayne County's former prosecutor Duncan C. McCrea, sheriff Thomas C. Wilcox, and 23 others for conspiring to protect vice and gambling operations; and (iv) the June conviction of police superintendent Fred W. Frahm and three police officers for graft in connection with a baseball gambling operation. (106 points) # Hank Greenberg. Detroit Tigers star Hank Greenberg made headlines for his involvement in the military draft. In March, Greenberg sought a deferment due to flat feet, a chronic backache, and infected wisdom teeth, but he was placed into

Class 1-A The Selective Service System (SSS) is an independent agency of the United States government that maintains information on U.S. citizens and other U.S. residents potentially subject to military conscription (i.e., the draft) and carries out contin ...

in April and inducted into the Army in May. Without Greenberg, the Tigers (who had won the pennant in 1940) dropped to fourth place. Greenberg was discharged from the Army on December 5, but he immediately re-enlisted after Japan's December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. (99 points) # Fishermen stranded on ice floes. A March 15 blizzard with 50-mile-per-hour winds stranded more than 19 ice fishermen and a woman when the storm broke up an ice field near Skanee Point and swept ice floes into Lake Superior. The last five fisherman were rescued on March 18. (66 points) # Tie (49 points each) between: ::* The November 8 murder of Ada Loveland Torrance, a wealthy 65-year-old widow from Kalamazoo, while on honeymoon in

Monterrey Monterrey ( , ) is the capital and largest city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León, Mexico, and the third largest city in Mexico behind Guadalajara and Mexico City. Located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre Oriental, the city is anchor ...

, Mexico. Her husband, a tropical disease expert and explorer, was charged with murdering her by a blow to the head and then staging an automobile accident to conceal his crime. ::* The January 5 murder of 32-year-old Mary Jane McCarthy witnessed by 500 persons. She was struck by a shotgun blast fired by her estranged husband as she ran down the church aisle during a public ceremony of reconciliation at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Grand Rapids. The '' Detroit Free Press'' editors rated the top news stories of 1941 in the State of Michigan as follows: # Ford strike. # Detroit corruption convictions. # Conversion to Arsenal of Democracy. # Sault Ste. Marie bridge collapse. # DSR strike. A strike by Detroit Street Railway workers closed the city's mass transportation system for five days from August 20 to August 25. # McKay trial. # CIO convention. The national CIO convention, held in Detroit in November, was marred by fistfights between contingents loyal to

John L. Lewis John Llewellyn Lewis (February 12, 1880 – June 11, 1969) was an American leader of organized labor who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America (UMW) from 1920 to 1960. A major player in the history of coal mining, he was the d ...

and Philip Murray. # Hank Greenberg. # Feud between Governor and Legislature. # Defense strikes. Prior to the U.S. entry into World War II, strikes were called against Michigan defense industries, including Dow Chemical in Midland and Great Lakes Steel Corp. Other stories that narrowly missed the cut for the top 10 stories included: * The November 3 murder of Wandamay Wheatley, a 20-year-old teletype operator. She was raped, beaten, and left in a thicket five miles south of Saginaw. Winford W. Smith, a 35-year-old taxi driver and father, confessed days later to the crime and was sentenced to life in prison. (47 points in AP poll) * The October 7 railroad crash in which a speeding freight train jumped the tracks and crashed into Lansing's Grand Trunk station, killing one boy and injuring at least 13 others. (31 points in AP Poll) * Michigan's October 25 football loss by a 7-0 score to Minnesota. Prior to the game, Michigan was ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll and Minnesota No. 1. (27 points in the AP poll) * The marriage of 23-year-old Anna Laurine Dodge, a former $18-a-week telephone operator and daughter of a tugboat captain, to a plastic surgeon who she met 18 months earlier as a patient. Dodge had married Daniel Dodge in 1938 and inherited $2.5 million when he drowned while on their honeymoon. * The October 23 drowning deaths of six crew members when the tugboat ''America'' sank in 19 feet of water to the east of Belle Isle. The tugboat sunk while assisting a grounded freighter, ''B.F. Jones''.

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 ...

(Democrat) *

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 ...

Matilda Dodge Wilson Matilda Dodge Wilson (née Rausch; October 19, 1883 – September 19, 1967), was born Matilda Rausch in Walkerton, Ontario, Canada. Ranked as one of the wealthiest women in the world, Dodge-Wilson was the widow of John Francis Dodge, who co-found ...

/ Frank Murphy (Democrat) * Michigan Attorney General:

Herbert J. Rushton Herbert J. Rushton (February 14, 1877December 11, 1947) was a Michigan politician. Early life Rushton was born in Manchester, Michigan, on February 14, 1877, to parents Thomas F. and Mary Rushton. Rushton was of English and Irish descent. Edu ...

(Republican) * Michigan Secretary of State: Harry Kelly (Republican) * Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives:

Howard Nugent Howard Nugent (1879-1952) was a US Republican politician from Michigan who served in the Michigan House of Representatives and was the longest-tenured Speaker in its history. Nugent was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan The lieu ...

(Republican) * Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court:

Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit: Edward Jeffries (Republican) *

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 ...

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) * Mayor of Flint:

William Osmund Kelly William Osmund Kelly (December 10, 1909 – July 1974) was an American politician who served as mayor of Flint, Michigan. He also filled the position of President for Saint Matthew Men's Club, the Flint Bowling Association and the Michigan Cha ...

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 * ...

: Max A. Templeton/Arthur E. Stoppel/Sam Street Hughes *

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 ...

: John W. Symons, Jr./William J. Brydges

Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan:

Prentiss M. Brown Prentiss Marsh Brown (June 18, 1889December 19, 1973) was a Democratic U.S. Representative and Senator from the state of Michigan. Biography Brown was born in St. Ignace, Michigan and attended the public schools there. He attended the Uni ...

(Democrat) * U.S. Senator from Michigan: Arthur Vandenberg (Republican) * House District 1:

Rudolph G. Tenerowicz Rudolph Gabriel Tenerowicz (June 14, 1890 – August 31, 1963) was an American physician and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from 1939 to 1943. Early life Tenerowicz ...

(Democrat) * House District 2: Earl C. Michener (Republican) * House District 3: Paul W. Shafer (Republican) * House District 4:

Clare Hoffman Clare Eugene Hoffman (September 10, 1875 – November 3, 1967) was a United States representative from Michigan's 4th congressional district. Background Hoffman was born in Vicksburg, Union County, Pennsylvania, where he attended the public s ...

(Republican) * House District 5: Bartel J. Jonkman (Republican) * House District 6:

William W. Blackney William Wallace Blackney (August 28, 1876 – March 14, 1963) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He served eight terms in the United States House of Representatives. Early life and education Blackney was born in Clio, Michigan, a ...

(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 ...

Jesse P. Wolcott Jesse Paine Wolcott (March 3, 1893 – January 28, 1969) was a politician and soldier from the U.S. state of Michigan. Wolcott was born to William Bradford Wolcott and Lillie Betsy (Paine) Wolcott in Gardner, Massachusetts and attended the comm ...

(Republican) * House District 8:

Fred L. Crawford Fred Lewis Crawford (May 5, 1888 – April 13, 1957) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Crawford was born in Dublin, Texas and attended local public schools. He went to business college at Peniel (now part of Greenville, Texas), an ...

(Republican) * House District 9:

Albert J. Engel Albert Joseph Engel (January 1, 1888 – December 2, 1959) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Biography Engel was born in New Washington, Ohio. He attended the public schools in Grand Traverse County, Michigan, and the Centra ...

(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:

Frederick Van Ness Bradley Frederick Van Ness Bradley (April 12, 1898 – May 24, 1947) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 11th congressional district from 1939 until his death in 1947. He was a member of the Republican Party. ...

(Republican) * House District 12:

Frank Eugene Hook Frank Eugene Hook (May 26, 1893 – June 21, 1982) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. Hook was born in L'Anse, Michigan and graduated from L'Anse High School in 1912. He attended the College of Law of the University of Detro ...

(Democrat) * House District 13:

George D. O'Brien George Donoghue O'Brien (January 1, 1900 – October 25, 1957) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan who served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives on three separate occasions. Early life and education O'Brien was born in ...

(Democrat) * House District 14:

Louis C. Rabaut Louis Charles Rabaut (December 5, 1886 – November 12, 1961) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic congressman representing Michigan's 14th congressional distr ...

(Democrat) * House District 15:

John D. Dingell Sr. John David Dingell Sr. (February 2, 1894 – September 19, 1955) was an American politician who represented Michigan's 15th congressional district from 1933 to 1955. He was a member of the Democratic Party. He was the father of the longest-serv ...

(Democrat) * House District 16:

John Lesinski Sr. John Lesinski Sr. (January 3, 1885 – May 27, 1950) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. He was the father of John Lesinski Jr., who succeeded him in the United States House of Representatives. Early life Lesinski was born in Erie ...

(Democrat) * House District 17:

George Anthony Dondero George Anthony Dondero (December 16, 1883 – January 29, 1968) was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan. Background Dondero was born on a farm in Greenfield Township, Michigan, which has since become part of ...

(Republican)

Population

Companies

The following is a list of major companies based in Michigan in 1941.

Sports

Baseball

1941 Detroit Tigers season The 1941 Detroit Tigers season was a season in American baseball. The team finished tied for fourth in the American League with a record of 75–79, 26 games behind the New York Yankees. Regular season Season standings Record vs. opponent ...

– The Tigers compiled a 75–79 record and finished in fourth place in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included Barney McCosky with a .324 batting average, Rudy York with 29 home runs and 111 RBIs, and

Al Benton John Alton Benton (March 18, 1911 – April 14, 1968) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. The right-hand ...

with 15 wins and a 2.97 earned run average. * 1941

Michigan Wolverines baseball The Michigan Wolverines baseball team represents the University of Michigan in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other Michigan athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Big Ten Conference. They play their home games ...

season - Under head coach Ray Fisher, the Wolverines compiled a 24–8 record and won the Big Ten Conference championship. Bill Steppon was the team captain.

American football

1941 Detroit Lions season The 1941 Detroit Lions season was their 12th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 5–5–1, winning only four games. They failed to qualify for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. Schedu ...

– Under head coach Bill Edwards, the Lions compiled a 4–6–1 record.

Byron "Whizzer" White Byron "Whizzer" Raymond White (June 8, 1917 April 15, 2002) was an American professional football player and jurist who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1962 until his retirement in 1993. Born and raised in Color ...

, who later served on the Supreme Court of the United States from 1962 to 1993, led the 1941 Lions with 338 passing yards, 240 rushing yards, 158 receiving yards, and 24 points scored. *

1941 Michigan Wolverines football team The 1941 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1941 Big Ten Conference football season. Under fourth-year head coach Fritz Crisler, Michigan compiled a record of 6–1–1 (3–1–1 Big Ten), outscored ...

– Under head coach Fritz Crisler, the Wolverines compiled a record of 6–1–1, outscored opponents 147 to 41 and were ranked No. 5 in the final AP Poll.

Fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

Bob Westfall was selected as a consensus first-team player on both the

1941 College Football All-America Team The 1941 College Football All-America team is composed of college football players who were selected as All-Americans by various organizations and writers that chose College Football All-America Teams in 1941. The nine selectors recognized by the N ...

. *

1941 Western Michigan Broncos football team The 1941 Western Michigan Broncos football team was an American football team that represented Michigan College of Education (later renamed Western Michigan University) during the 1941 college football season. In their 13th and final season un ...

- Under head coach Mike Gary, the Hilltoppers compiled an 8–0 record, shut out four opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 183 to 27. *

1941 Michigan State Spartans football team The 1941 Michigan State Spartans football team represented Michigan State College as an independent during the 1941 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 5–3–1 record and los ...

- Under head coach Charlie Bachman, the Spartans compiled a 5–3–1 record. * 1941 Central Michigan Bearcats football team - Under head coach

Ron Finch Ronald W. Finch (October 19, 1902 – April 19, 1962) was an American football and basketball coach. He served as the head football coach at Central Michigan University from 1937 to 1946, compiling a record of 54–18–1. Finch was also the head ...

, the Bearcats compiled a 4–3 record. * 1941 Michigan State Normal Hurons football team - Under head coach Elton Rynearson, the Hurons compiled a 0–5–2 record.

Basketball

1940–41 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team The 1940–41 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team represented the University of Michigan in intercollegiate basketball during the 1940–41 season. The team finished the season in 7th place in the Big Ten Conference with an overall record ...

– Under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan, the Wolverines compiled a 9-10 record. Michael Sofiak was the team's leading scorer with 192 points in 19 games for an average of 10.1 points per game. * 1940–41 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team – Under head coach

Benjamin Van Alstyne Benjamin F. Van Alstyne (1893 – August 1972) was an American basketball coach. The Canajoharie, New York native played college basketball, baseball and football at Colgate University, graduating in 1917. Following military service and a year o ...

, the Spartans compiled an 11-6 record. * 1940–41

Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball The Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team represents Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school's team competes in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and are coached by Dwayne Stephens. The team last played in the NCAA ...

team – Under head coach

Buck Read Herbert William "Buck" Read (February 8, 1880 - August 15, 1970) was an American basketball coach. He was the head coach for the Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team from 1922 through 1949. He was also president of the National Associati ...

, the Broncos compiled a 10-8 record. * 1940–41 Detroit Titans men's basketball team – Under head coach Lloyd Brazil, the Titans compiled an 11-10 record.

Ice hockey

1940–41 Detroit Red Wings season The 1940–41 Detroit Red Wings season was the 15th season for the Detroit NHL franchise, ninth as the Red Wings. The Red Wings made it to the Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Boston Bruins. Offseason Regular season Final standings Record v ...

– Under head coach

Jack Adams John James Adams (June 14, 1894 – May 1, 1968) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player, coach and general manager in the National Hockey League and Pacific Coast Hockey Association. He played for the Toronto Arenas, Vancouver Millionaire ...

, the Red Wings compiled a 21–16–11 record, finished third in the NHL, won the first two playoff rounds, and lost to the Boston Bruins in the

1941 Stanley Cup Finals The 1941 Stanley Cup Finals was a best-of-seven series between the Boston Bruins and the Detroit Red Wings. Boston would win the series 4–0 to win their third Stanley Cup. Paths to the Finals Boston defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best ...

Syd Howe Sydney Harris Howe (September 18, 1911 – May 20, 1976) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Howe played 17 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Quakers, Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Eagl ...

led the team with 20 goals, 24 assists, and 44 points.

Johnny Mowers John Thomas "Mum" Mowers (October 29, 1916 – December 7, 1995) was a Canadian ice hockey goaltender who played for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1940 and 1947. In 1943 he won the Vezina Trophy for allowing th ...

was the goaltender. * 1940–41 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team – The team compiled a 2–14–1 record under coach

Ed Lowrey Edwin James Lowrey (August 13, 1891 – November 27, 1973) was a Canadian ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre. Lowrey played for Ottawa Senators (original), Ottawa Senators, Toronto Ontarios, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Blueshirts, Hamilton Tig ...

. * 1940–41 Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team – The team compiled a 1–10 record under coach Ed Maki.

Other

Chronology of events

Births

* January 18 - David Ruffin, a lead singer with The Temptations (including " My Girl" and "

Ain't Too Proud to Beg "Ain't Too Proud to Beg" is a 1966 song and hit single by The Temptations for Motown Records' Gordy label, produced by Norman Whitfield and written by Whitfield and Edward Holland Jr. The song peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Pop Chart, a ...

"), in Mississippi * February 15 - Brian Holland, songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Motown's Holland–Dozier–Holland team, in Detroit * April 5 -

Michael Moriarty Michael Moriarty (born April 5, 1941) is an American-Canadian actor and jazz musician. He received an Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for his first acting role on American television as a Nazi SS officer in the 1978 mini-series ''Holocaust'' ...

, actor who won an Emmy and a Tony Award and starred in ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

'', in Detroit * May 19 -

James P. Hoffa James Phillip Hoffa (born May 19, 1941) is an American labor leader and attorney who was the tenth General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He is the son of Jimmy Hoffa. Hoffa was first elected in 1998, and subsequently r ...

, General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamstersz since 1999, in Detroit * May 23 - Rennie Davis, anti-war activist and one of the Chicago Seven defendants, in Lansing * June 15 - Lamont Dozier, songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Motown's Holland–Dozier–Holland team, in Detroit * June 18 - Martha Reeves, Motown star ( Dancing in the Street, Heat Wave,

Jimmy Mack "Jimmy Mack" is a pop/soul song that in 1967 became a hit single by Martha and the Vandellas for Motown's Gordy imprint. Written and produced by Motown's main creative team, Holland–Dozier–Holland, "Jimmy Mack" was the final Top 10 pop hit ...

) and Detroit City Council member (2005-2009), in Alabama * October 2 - John Sinclair, jazz poet, writer, and political activist, in Flint * November 29 - Bill Freehan, baseball catcher and 11× All-Star, in Detroit

Gallery of 1941 births

File:MARTHA REEVES with flowers.jpg, Martha Reeves File:John Sinclair08100.jpg, John Sinclair File:Bill Freehan 1975.jpg, Bill Freehan File:Rennie Davis.jpg, Rennie Davis File:James R. Hoffa and James P. Hoffa NYWTS.jpg,

File:LamontDozierByPhilKonstantin.jpg, Lamont Dozier

Deaths

* February 12 -

William Barlum Thompson William Barlum Thompson (March 10, 1860 – February 12, 1941) was the Mayor of Detroit from 1907 to 1908 and again from 1911 to 1912. Biography William Barlum Thompson was born on March 10, 1860, in Detroit, the son of Thomas and Bridget B ...

, Mayor of Detroit from 1907–1908 and 1911–1912, at age 81 in Detroit * April 24 - John W. Haarer, Michigan State Treasurer (1913–1916), at age 65 in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

* November 8 - Philip Breitmeyer, Mayor of Detroit from 1909-1910 and a founder of Florists' Transworld Delivery (FTD), at age 77 in Detroit * December 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 Congressman from Michigan's 4th District from 1921 to 1933, at age 68 in Hastings, Michigan.

References

{{Michigan year nav