Gerhard Mennen Williams, also known as Soapy Williams, (February 23, 1911-February 2, 1988), was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. A Democrat, Williams served for twelve years as Governor of Michigan and also served on the state Supreme Court. February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1911 was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... A U.S. state is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, together with the District of Columbia and Palmyra Atoll (an uninhabited incorporated unorganized territory), form the United States of America. ... State nickname: Wolverine State or Great Lakes State Other U.S. States Capital Lansing Largest city Detroit Governor Jennifer Granholm (D) Official languages English Area 250,941 km² (11th)  - Land 147,255 km²  - Water 103,687 km² (41. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ...

Williams was born in Detroit, Michigan to a prominent family. His mother's father was the founder of the Mennen brand of men's personal care products (now marketed by the Colgate-Palmolive company). Because of this, Williams acquired the popular nickname Soapy. Motto: Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus (We Hope For Better Things; It Shall Rise From the Ashes - this motto was adopted after the disastrous 1805 fire that devastated the city) Nickname: The Motor City and Motown Location in Michigan Founded  -Incorporated July 24, 1701 1816  County Wayne County Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick... Colgate redirects here. ...

Williams attended the Salisbury School in Connecticut, a highly exclusive Episcopalian preparatory school. He graduated from Princeton University in 1933 and received a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. While at law school, Williams became affiliated with the Democratic Party, departing from his family's strong ties to the Republican Party. The word Episcopal is derived from the Greek επισκοπος epískopos, which literally means overseer; the word however is used in religious terms to mean bishop. ... In the United States a preparatory school, or prep school, is usually a private secondary school (or high school) designed to prepare a student for higher education. ... For other Princetons, see Princeton. ... 1933 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... University of Michigan, Ann Arbor The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a public coeducational university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... This article is about the modern United States Republican Party. ...

He worked with the law firm Griffiths, Williams and Griffiths from 1936 to 1941. During World War II, he served four years in the United States Navy as an air combat intelligence officer in the South Pacific. He achieved the rank of lieutenant commander and earned ten battle stars. 1936 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in... The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... South Pacific is a musical play with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II that opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949, and ran for more than five years. ...

Williams was named to the Liquor Control Commission in 1947. The following year he was elected Governor with the support of labor unions and dissident Republicans. He was subsequently elected to a record six two-year terms in that post. Williams left office on January 1, 1961, having served for twelve years, a record equalled only by William Milliken and John Engler. Williams unsuccessfully challenged United States Senator Robert P. Griffin in the 1966 election, but two years later was named by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be U.S. ambassador to the Philippines. Williams was elected to the state Supreme Court in 1970, and in 1983 was named Chief Justice. He left the Court on January 1, 1987 and died February 2, 1988. There was a formal military funeral for him and he was buried in the Protestant Cemetery on Mackinac Island. 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A union (labor union in American English; trade union, sometimes trades union, in British English; either labour union or trade union in Canadian English) is a legal entity consisting of employees or workers having a common interest, such as all the assembly workers for one employer, or all the workers... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... William Grawn Milliken (born March 26, 1922), American politician, served as the Republican governor of Michigan from January 1969 to December 1982. ... John M. Engler (born October 12, 1948) is an American politician. ... The United States Senate is the upper house of the U.S. Congress, smaller than the United States House of Representatives. ... Robert Paul Griffin (born November 6, 1923) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... The President of the United States is the head of state of the United States. ... Lyndon Baines Johnson (August 27, 1908 – January 22, 1973), often referred to as LBJ, was the thirty-sixth President of the United States (1963–1969). ... 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1988 is a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A view of downtown Mackinac Island and the harbor. ...

References

• Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society
• Michigan Lawyers in History

Kimber Cornellus Sigler, commonly known as Kim Sigler, (May 2, 1894–November 30, 1953) was an American politician. ... Michigan Governors Territorial Governors State Governors From statehood until the election of 1966, governors were elected to two-year terms. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... John Burley Swainson (July 31, 1925–May 13, 1994) was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. ...