1954 in Michigan

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1954
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Events from the year 1954 in Michigan.

Top stories

The Associated Press[1] United Press[2] and Detroit Free Press,[3] each separately ranked the state's top news stories of 1954 as follows:

  • Democrat election victory. Landslide victory by Democrats in the November election, including Patrick V. McNamara's defeat of U.S. Senator Homer Ferguson and Governor G. Mennen Williams' election to a fourth term (AP#1, 217 points; UP#1; DFP#1)
  • Mackinac Bridge. The start of construction on the Mackinac Bridge (AP#2, 162 points; UP#2; DFP#10)
  • Small acquittal. The acquittal of Dr. Kenneth Small on charges that he murdered New York playboy Jules Lack, who was having an affair with Small's wife, at a Lake Michigan vacation home near Douglas, Michigan (AP#3, 153 points; UP#3; DFP#2)
  • Death of Sen. Moody. On July 20 death, U.S. Senator Blair Moody died from chronic viral pneumonia and heart failure at University Hospital in Ann Arbor at age 52[4] (AP#4; DFP#5)
  • Escape from Jackson. The escape of 13 inmates, with two women as hostages, from Michigan State Prison in Jackson (AP#5)
  • State equalization. A decision of the Michigan Supreme Court making state equalization the basis for local property taxes (AP#6)
  • Donald Ritchie. Donald Ritchie's false confession to the 1948 attempted assassination of Walter Reuther (AP#7; DFP#6)
  • Automotive merger. The merger of independent automobile makers, including Studebaker, Packard, and Hudson, to become more competitive with the Big Three (AP#8; DFP#3)
  • Bingo vote. The November 2 vote against legalizing bingo (AP#9)
  • "Bird dog" controversy. Secretary of Defense C.E. Wilson's drew criticism for his October 11 comments about unemployment: "I have always liked bird dogs better than kennel-fed dogs. The bird dog is one that will go out and hunt for its food. The kennel-fed dog is one that waits until it is brought to him. (AP#10; DFP#8)
  • Automobile production race, including Chrysler "face-lifting" (DFP#4)
  • Judge John P. O'Hara's grand jury investigation of police (DFP#7)
  • The murder of a four-year-old girl by 15-year-old Terrance DeMoss (DFP#9)

Office holders

State office holders

Gov. G. Mennen Williams

Mayors of major cities

Sen. Charles Potter

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

Harvey Kuenn

American football

Dorne Dibble

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

Deaths

  • May 3 - Philip Bartelme, athletic director of the University of Michigan (1909–1921), credited with bringing basketball, hockey and swimming to varsity status, at age 77 in Carmel, California
  • July 20 - Blair Moody, United States Senator from Michigan (1951–1952), at age 52 in Ann Arbor

See also

References

  1. ^ "Democrat Victory Topped State News". The Herald-Press. December 31, 1954. p. II-8 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Democratic Sweep Of State Offices Rated Top Story". The Holland Evening Sentinel. December 28, 1954. p. 5.
  3. ^ "Year's Top Stories". Detroit Free Press. December 26, 1954. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Blair Moody Dies At 52". Detroit Free Press. July 21, 1954. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "1954 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  6. ^ "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.
  7. ^ 2012 Record Book, p. 13.
  8. ^ "1954 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  9. ^ "1954 Football Team". University of Michigan, Bentley Historical Library. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  10. ^ "1954 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  11. ^ "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.
  12. ^ "1954 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  13. ^ "2014 Digital Media Guide: Eastern Michigan University" (PDF). Eastern Michigan University Football. pp. 169, 176. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  14. ^ "Football Records: Annual Results". Western Michigan University. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  15. ^ "1953–54 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  16. ^ "University of Michigan Basketball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. p. 31. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-10-26. Retrieved 2017-07-29.
  17. ^ "1953–54 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  18. ^ "1953–54 Detroit Titans Schedule and Results". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  19. ^ "1953–54 Western Michigan Broncos Schedule and Results". SR/CBB. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  20. ^ "1953–54 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  21. ^ "Michigan Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved July 17, 2017.
  22. ^ "Michigan State Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  23. ^ "Michigan Tech Team History". College Hockey News. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
  24. ^ "Legislator Details - Robert Daniel Mahoney". Library of Michigan. Retrieved May 13, 2020.