1951 in Michigan
Calendar year
Events from the year 1951 in Michigan .
Top stories
The Associated Press polled more than 50 editors of its member newspapers in Michigan and ranked the state's top news stories of 1953 as follows:[ 1]
The April 18 death of U.S. Senator Arthur Vandenberg (369 points)
The February 8 state office building fire in Lansing set by arsonist Richard Shay (304 points)
The Ann Arbor murder of nurse Pauline Campbell by three teenagers seeking beer money (198 points)
The February 8 hearing of the Kefauver Committee examining Detroit's underworld (154 points)
The arrest, trial and conviction of farm youths Valorus Mattheis and Raymond Lee Olson for the 1950 murder of college student Caroline Drown near Kalamazoo (152 points)
The 1951 Michigan State Spartans football team (126 points)
An automobile crash near Pontiac killed Mr. and Mrs. Murray Moore, parents of 11 children (113 points)
Crime rampage of by Warren Lee Irwin following a murder near Oxford, Michigan (108 points)
Tie for ninth place (each story receiving 91 points) between:
* July 9 death of Detroit Tigers' great Harry Heilmann
* Michigan Legislature's increase in the gasoline tax
Office holders
State office holders
Gov. G. Mennen Williams
Mayors of major cities
Sen. Homer Ferguson
Rep. Clare Hoffman
Federal office holders
Population
In the 1950 United States census , Michigan was recorded as having a population of 6,421,000 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1960, the state's population had grown 22.8% to 7,823,194 persons.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 40,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1950 Rank
City
County
1940 Pop.
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
Change 1950-60
1
Detroit
Wayne
1,623,452
1,849,568
1,670,144
−9.7%
2
Grand Rapids
Kent
164,292
176,515
177,313
0.5%
3
Flint
Genesee
151,543
163,143
196,940
20.7%
4
Dearborn
Wayne
63,589
94,994
112,007
17.9%
5
Saginaw
Saginaw
82,794
92,918
98,265
5.8%
6
Lansing
Ingham
78,753
92,129
107,807
17.0%
7
Pontiac
Oakland
66,626
73,681
82,233
11.6%
8
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
54,097
57,704
82,089
42.4%
9
Bay City
Bay
47,956
52,523
53,604
2.1%
10
Jackson
Jackson
49,656
51,088
50,720
−0.7%
11
Battle Creek
Calhoun
43,453
48,666
44,169
−9.2%
12
Muskegon
Muskegon
47,697
48,429
46,485
−4.0%
13
Ann Arbor
Washtenaw
29,815
48,251
67,340
39.6%
14
Royal Oak
Oakland
25,087
46,898
80,612
71.9%
15
Warren
Macomb
23,658
42,653
89,246
109.2%
Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1980 Rank
County
Largest city
1940 Pop.
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
Change 1950-60
1
Wayne
Detroit
2,015,623
2,435,235
2,666,297
9.5%
2
Oakland
Pontiac
254,068
396,001
690,259
74.3%
3
Kent
Grand Rapids
246,338
288,292
363,187
26.0%
4
Genesee
Flint
227,944
270,963
374,313
38.1%
5
Macomb
Warren
107,638
184,961
405,804
119.4%
6
Ingham
Lansing
130,616
172,941
211,296
22.2%
7
Saginaw
Saginaw
130,468
153,515
190,752
24.3%
8
Washtenaw
Ann Arbor
80,810
134,606
172,440
28.1%
9
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo
100,085
126,707
169,712
33.9%
10
Muskegon
Muskegon
94,501
121,545
129,943
6.9%
11
Calhoun
Battle Creek
94,206
120,813
138,858
14.9%
12
Berrien
Benton Harbor
89,117
115,702
149,865
29.5%
13
Jackson
Jackson
93,108
108,168
131,994
22.0%
Sports
Baseball
George Kell
Buddy Parker
1951 Detroit Lions season – Under head coach Buddy Parker , the Lions compiled a 7–4–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL National Division. The team's statistical leaders included Bobby Layne with 2,403 passing yards, Robert Hoernschemeyer with 678 rushing yards, Dorne Dibble with 613 receiving yards, and Doak Walker with 97 points scored (6 touchdowns, 43 extra points, 6 field goals).[ 5]
1951 Michigan State Spartans football team – Under head coach Biggie Munn , the Spartans compiled a 9–0 record and were ranked No. 2 in the final AP Poll .[ 6]
1951 Michigan Wolverines football team – Under head coach Bennie Oosterbaan , the Wolverines finished in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference with a record of 4–5.[ 7]
1951 Central Michigan Chippewas football team – Under head coach Kenneth "Bill" Kelly , the Chippewas compiled a 5–3 record.[ 8]
1951 Detroit Titans football team – The Titans compiled a 4–7 record under head coach Dutch Clark .[ 9]
1951 Michigan State Normal Hurons football team – Under head coach Harry Ockerman , the Hurons compiled a 4–5 record.[ 10]
1951 Western Michigan Broncos football team – Under head coach John Gill , the Broncos compiled a 4–4 record.[ 11]
Basketball
Ice hockey
Gordie Howe
Boat racing
Golfing
Other
Chronology of events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Births
January 22 - Leon Roberts , Major League Baseball outfielder (1974–1984), in Vicksburg, Michigan
January 28 - Bob Sutton , head football coach at Army (1991-1999), in Ypsilanti, Michigan
March 16 - Joe DeLamielleure , NFL offensive lineman (1973-1985) inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame , in Detroit
April 8 - Mel Schacher , bassist for Grand Funk Railroad , in Flint, Michigan
May 5 - John D. Cherry , 62nd Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, in Sulphur Springs, Texas
September 10 - Gary Danielson , NFL quarterback (1976-1988), in Detroit
September 18 - Ben Carson , neurosurgeon, 17th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development , in Detroit
October 18 - Pam Dawber , actress (Mork & Mindy , My Sister Sam ), in Detroit
Gallery of 1951 births
Deaths
Gallery of 1951 deaths
See also
References
^ "Vandenberg's Death Top Story in '51" . The Lansing State Journal . January 1, 1952. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1951 Detroit Tigers Statistics" . Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "2012 University of Michigan Baseball Record Book" (PDF) . University of Michigan. 2012. pp. 22, 71. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017 .
^ 2012 Record Book, p. 13.
^ "1951 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1951 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1951 Football Team" . University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Central Michigan 2015 Football Media Guide" (PDF) . Central Michigan University. 2015. pp. 100, 110. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 26, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1951 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "2014 Digital Media Guide: Eastern Michigan University" (PDF) . Eastern Michigan University Football. pp. 169, 176. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Football Records: Annual Results" . Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1950–51 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF) . University of Michigan. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-26. Retrieved 2017-07-30 .
^ "1950–51 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1950–51 Detroit Titans Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "1950–51 Western Michigan Broncos Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2017 .
^ "1950–51 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics" . Hockey-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Michigan Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Michigan State Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Michigan Tech Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved July 29, 2017 .
^ "Legislator Details - Charline White" . Library of Michigan . Retrieved May 13, 2020 .