Alex Groesbeck

Infobox Governor
name= Alex Groesbeck


caption=
order= 30^th
office= Governor of Michigan
term_start= January 1, 1921
term_end= January 1, 1927
lieutenant= 1.Thomas Read2.George W. Welsh
predecessor= Albert E. Sleeper
successor= Fred W. Green
birth_date= March 7, 1873
birth_place= Warren, Michigan
death_date= March 10, 1953
death_place= Detroit, Michigan
spouse=
party=Republican
religion=

Alexander Joseph Groesbeck (March 7, 1873cite book |last=Burton |first=Clarence M. editor-in-chief |title=The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701–1922 |origyear=1922 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/BAD1447.0005.001 |accessdate=2006-05-29 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=pp. 668–271 |chapter=s.v. Alexander J. Groesbeck | chapterurl=http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;q1=Groesbeck;q2=Alexander;op2=and;op3=and;rgn=pages;idno=BAD1447.0005.001;didno=BAD1447.0005.001;view=image;seq=00000674] –March 10, 1953) was an American politician who served as Attorney General and Governor of the state of Michigan.cite web|title=s.v. Groesbeck, Alexander Joseph (1873–1953) |work=The Political Graveyard |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gritzmacher-grosfeld.html#RH801HPRR |accessdate=2006-05-29]

Early life

Groesbeck was born in Warren, Michigan, the son of Macomb County Sheriff Louis Groesbeck and his wife Julia (Coquillard) Groesbeck. Groesbeck attended the public schools of Mount Clemens, Michigan, and of Wallaceburg, Ontario, where his parents resided for two years with their family. Groesbeck wanted to become a lawyer from an early age, and undertook the study of law in the office of an attorney at Port Huron, Michigan. He went on to earn a LL.B. degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor in 1893. He was admitted to the bar that year and set up practice in Detroit where he rapidly gained the "respect, goodwill and confidence of his colleagues, because of his close conformity to the highest ethical standards of the profession".

Politics

Groesbeck's entrance into state politics came in 1912, when he led efforts to select a delegation to the Republican National Convention favorable to the renomination of U.S. President William Howard Taft. Groesbeck also actively led the party faction supporting Taft in the general election. In the same year, Groesbeck was elected the state party chairman, serving until 1914. He was a candidate for Governor of Michigan in 1914, but lost in the Republican primary election to Chase S. Osborn.cite web|title=Michigan: Governors, 1910s |work=The Political Graveyard |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/MI/ofc/gov1910s.html |accessdate=2006-05-29] In 1916, Groesbeck was elected Attorney General of Michigan, and was re-elected in 1918.

In 1920, he won the Republican primary election for Governor and defeated Democrat and former governor Woodbridge N. Ferris in the general election. After being re-elected in 1922 and 1924, Groesbeck lost to Fred W. Green in the 1926 Republican primary election.cite web|title=Michigan: Governors, 1920s |work=The Political Graveyard |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/MI/ofc/gov1920s.html |accessdate=2006-05-29] In 1924, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention, which chose U.S. President Calvin Coolidge to be re-elected.In addition to Groesbeck's political work, he was one of the builders of the Flint-Saginaw Interurban Railway.

In 1925, Groesbeck vetoed legislation that would have created a state poet laureate. "TIME" magazine reported:cite web|url=http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,720327,00.html |title=Free Fights, No Laureate |work=TIME Magazine Archive Article |date=1925-05-18 |accessdate=2006-05-29]

Forgetful of the state poets of republican Athens, the Governor's historical knowledge led him to describe the bill as "a reversion to monarchical customs" which "has no place in a republican form of government."

During his six years in office, the state's highway growth continued, prison reform measures were sanctioned, state titles for automobiles began, and state government was restructured and consolidated.He was defeated in the 1930 Republican primary election by Wilber M. Brucker.cite web|title=Michigan: Governors, 1930s |work=The Political Graveyard |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/geo/MI/ofc/gov1930s.html |accessdate=2006-05-29]

Retirement, death and legacy

Groesbeck was later appointed chairman of the Michigan Civil Service Commission, and served from 1941 to 1944. Also in 1944, he was a delegate to the Republican National Convention which nominated for U.S. President, Thomas Dewey, who would lose to the three-term President Franklin Roosevelt in the general election. He was also a member of the Detroit Bar Association, the Michigan Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and in club circles was well known as a member of the Detroit Club and the Detroit Athletic Club.

He died in Detroit, three days after his 80th birthday, and is interred there at Woodlawn Cemetery. [ [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=10132 Find a grave, Alex Groesbeck.] ]

Groesbeck Highway (M-97) was named for the governor, both because of the local prominence of the Groesbeck family in Macomb county and because of his strong support for building roads and highways in Michigan.cite web|title=s.v. M-97 |url=http://www.michiganhighways.org/listings/MichHwys90-99.html#M-097 |work=Michigan Highways |accessdate=2006-05-29] cite web|title=Governor Groesbeck: Road Builder and Defender of School Choice |url=http://www.mackinac.org/article.aspx?ID=340 |work=Mackinac Center for Public Policy |accessdate=2006-05-29]

He is memorialized by a state historical marker in the City of Warren. [ [http://www.michmarkers.com/Frameset.htm Michigan Historical markers] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=65eae8569a313010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD National Governors Association]
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/gritzmacher-grosfeld.html#RH801HPRR Political Graveyard]