1969 in Michigan
Calendar year
Events from the year 1969 in Michigan .
The Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) each selected the top 10 stories in Michigan for 1969, including the following:[ 1]
The "Michigan murders ", a series of six killings of young women between 1967 and 1969 in the Ann Arbor /Ypsilanti area climaxing with the August 1 arrest of John Norman Collins (AP-1, UPI-1);
An education reform plan proposed by Governor William Milliken (AP-2, UPI-2);
The debate over a proposal to provide public funding to parochial schools (AP-3, UPI-2);
William Milliken's succession of George W. Romney as Governor of Michigan following Romney's becoming United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (AP-4, UPI-3);
The New Bethel Church shootout between members of the Republic of New Africa and the Detroit Police Department on March 29 (AP-5, UPI-7);
The November 4 Detroit mayoral election in which Wayne County Sheriff Roman Gribbs narrowly defeated Wayne County auditor Richard H. Austin 's bid to become the city's first African-American mayor (AP-6, UPI-6);[ 2]
Henry Ford II 's firing of Semon Knudsen as president of Ford Motor Company on September 11, only 18 months after Knudsen was hired away from General Motors (AP-7, UPI-5);[ 3] The October 17 appointment of Clifton R. Wharton Jr. as President of Michigan State University , the first African-American to head a major university (AP-8, UPI-8);[ 4]
Controversy over sex education guidelines prepared by the Michigan Board of Education (UPI-4);
The murder trial and acquittal of Detroit police officer Ronald August arising out of the Algiers Motel incident (AP-9);
The emergence of Robert P. Griffin as a force in the United States Senate with his selection as whip (UPI-9);
The death of Dr. Leroy G. Augenstein, a member of the Michigan State Board of Education and a potential U.S. Senate candidate in 1970, in a private plane crash on November 8 (AP-10, UPI-10).[ 5] The UPI also selected the state's top 10 sports stories as follows:[ 6]
The 1969 Ohio State vs. Michigan football game with Michigan upsetting undefeated and No. 1 ranked Ohio State on November 22;[ 7]
The 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team tying for the Big Ten Conference championship and receiving the conference's berth to play in the 1970 Rose Bowl ;[ 8]
Spencer Haywood , basketball player at the University of Detroit , selected as an All-American and decided to turn pro;[ 9] The October 16 firing of Bill Gadsby as the Detroit Red Wings 's coach with Sid Abel taking over coaching duties;[ 10]
The August 10 firing of Johnny Sain as the Detroit Tigers ' pitching coach after a public rift with manager Mayo Smith ;[ 11]
The first and last Michigan Golf Classic , held at the Shenandoah Golf and County Club, which became the first PGA Tour event in modern history to default on its obligation to pay purse money;[ 12]
The 1969 Detroit Lions finishing with their best record since 1962;[ 13]
Gordie Howe tallying a career-high 103 points at age 41;[ 14] The 1969 Detroit Tigers failing to repeat as American League champions and finishing in second place in the new American League East ;[ 15]
(tie) The September 10 death of Michigan State basketball coach John E. Benington from a heart attack in the coaches' locker room at Jenison Fieldhouse ,[ 16] Dave Bing 's September 2 announcement that he would leave the Detroit Pistons in 1971 to play for the Washington Capitols in the ABA .[ 17] In music, the year's highlights in Michigan included albums from Michigan bands Tommy James and the Shondells (featuring "Crimson and Clover " and "Crystal Blue Persuasion "), The Stooges (featuring "I Wanna Be Your Dog "), Bob Seger (featuring "Ramblin' Gamblin' Man "), the MC5 (Kick Out the Jams Alice Cooper , and Grand Funk Railroad , and Motown 's Hitsville U.S.A. continued to produce hit records by The Temptations ("I Can't Get Next to You "), Diana Ross & the Supremes ("Someday We'll Be Together "), Stevie Wonder ("My Cherie Amour "), The Jackson 5 ("I Want You Back "), and Marvin Gaye ("Too Busy Thinking About My Baby ").
Office holders
Gov. Milliken
State office holders
Mayors of major cities
Mayor Cavanagh
Federal office holders
Sen. Griffin Sen. Hart
Population
In the 1960 United States census , Michigan was recorded as having a population of 7,823,194 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1970, the state's population had grown 13.4% to 8,875,083 persons.
Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 60,000 based on 1960 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1950 and 1970 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1960
City
County
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
1970 Pop.
Change
1
Detroit Wayne 1,849,568
1,670,144
1,514,063
−9.3%
2
Flint Genesee 163,143
196,940
193,317
−1.8%
3
Grand Rapids Kent 176,515
177,313
197,649
11.5%
4
Dearborn Wayne
94,994
112,007
104,199
−7.0%
5
Lansing Ingham 92,129
107,807
131,403
21.9%
6
Saginaw Saginaw 92,918
98,265
91,849
−6.5%
7
Warren Macomb 42,653
89,246
179,260
100.2%
8
Pontiac Oakland 73,681
82,233
85,279
3.7%
9
Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 57,704
82,089
85,555
4.1%
10
Royal Oak Oakland
46,898
80,612
86,238
7.0%
11
St. Clair Shores Macomb
19,823
76,657
88,093
14.9%
12
Ann Arbor Washtenaw 48,251
67,340
100,035
48.6%
13
Livonia Wayne
17,634
66,702
110,109
65.1%
14
Dearborn Heights Wayne
20,235
61,118
80,069
31.0%
15
Westland Wayne
30,407
60,743
86,749
42.8%
Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1960 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1950 and 1970 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
1960
County
Largest city
1950 Pop.
1960 Pop.
1970 Pop.
Change
1
Wayne Detroit 2,435,235
2,666,297
2,666,751
0.0%
2
Oakland Pontiac 396,001
690,259
907,871
31.5%
3
Macomb Warren 184,961
405,804
625,309
54.1%
4
Genesee Flint 270,963
374,313
444,341
18.7%
5
Kent Grand Rapids 288,292
363,187
411,044
13.2%
6
Ingham Lansing 172,941
211,296
261,039
23.5%
7
Saginaw Saginaw 153,515
190,752
219,743
15.2%
8
Washtenaw Ann Arbor 134,606
172,440
234,103
35.8%
9
Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 126,707
169,712
201,550
18.8%
10
Berrien Benton Harbor 115,702
149,865
163,875
9.3%
11
Calhoun Battle Creek 120,813
138,858
141,963
2.2%
12
Jackson Jackson 108,168
131,994
143,274
8.5%
13
Muskegon Muskegon 121,545
129,943
157,426
21.2%
14
St. Clair Port Huron 91,599
107,201
120,175
12.1%
15
Bay Bay City 88,461
107,042
117,339
9.6%
16
Monroe Monroe 75,666
101,120
118,479
17.2%
Sports
Baseball
1969 Detroit Lions season – The Lions, under head coach Joe Schmidt , compiled a 9–4–1 record and finished in second place in the NFL's Central Division. The team's statistical leaders included Bill Munson with 1,062 passing yards, Bill Triplett with 377 rushing yards, Charlie Sanders with 656 receiving yards, and Errol Mann with 101 points scored.[ 13] 1969 Michigan Wolverines football team – Under head coach Bo Schembechler , the Wolverines compiled an 8–3 record and were ranked No. 9 in the final AP Poll . The team's statistical leaders included Don Moorhead with 1,261 passing yards, Billy Taylor with 864 rushing yards and 114 points scored, Jim Mandich with 662 receiving yards, and Garvie Craw with 78 points scored.[ 8] 1969 Michigan State Spartans football team – Under head coach Duffy Daugherty , the Spartans compiled a 4–6 record. The team's statistical leaders included Bill Triplett with 715 passing yards, Don Highsmith with 937 rushing yards and 42 points scored, and Frank Foreman with 537 receiving yards.[ 21] 1969 Central Michigan Chippewas football team – Under head coach Roy Kramer , the Chippewas compiled a 7–3 record.[ 22] 1969 Eastern Michigan Hurons football team – Under head coach Dan Boisture , the Hurons compiled a 5–4 record.1969 Western Michigan Broncos football team – Under head coach Bill Doolittle , the Broncos compiled a 4–6 record.[ 23]
Basketball
Ice hockey
Golf
Boat racing
Other
Music
Michigan and/or Motown acts performed 14 of the songs ranked on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1969 , as follows:
Albums released by Michigan and/or Motown acts in 1969 included the following:
Crimson & Clover Tommy James and the Shondells was released in January and reached No. 8 on the Billboard album chart. It featured the hit songs, "Crimson and Clover " (pop No. 1) and "Crystal Blue Persuasion " (pop No. 2).Ramblin' Gamblin' Man The Bob Seger System was released in January. The single of the same title reached No. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.Cloud Nine The Temptations was released on February 17 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard album chart. It featured the hit songs, "Cloud Nine " (No. 2 R&B, No. 6 pop) and "Runaway Child, Running Wild " (No. 1 R&B, No. 6 pop).Kick Out the Jams MC5 was released in February. It was recorded live at Detroit's Grande Ballroom on October 30–31, 1968. The album was ranked No. 294 on Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Albums of All Time ".M.P.G. Marvin Gaye was released on April 30 and reached No. 1 on the soul albums chart. It was recorded at the Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit. It featured the hit songs, "Too Busy Thinking About My Baby " (R&B No. 1, pop No. 4) and "That's The Way Love Is " (No. 2 soul, No. 7 pop).Let the Sunshine In Diana Ross & the Supremes was released on May 26 and reached No. 7 on the R&B albums chart. It featured the hit single, "I'm Livin' in Shame " (No. 10 pop).Pretties for You Alice Cooper was released on June 30.The Stooges The Stooges , was released on August 5. The album was ranked at No. 185 on Rolling Stone list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". The album included the single, "I Wanna Be Your Dog " which was ranked at No. 438 on Rolling Stone' s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time .My Cherie Amour Stevie Wonder was released on August 29. It featured the hit songs, "My Cherie Amour (pop No. 4) and "Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday " (pop No. 7, R&B No. 5).Puzzle People I Can't Get Next to You ".Cream of the Crop The Supremes Diana Ross , was released on November 3. The album featured "Someday We'll Be Together ", the final No. 1 hit of the 1960s.Four in Blue The Miracles was released on November 3 and reached No. 3 in the R&B albums chart.Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5 The Jackson 5 was released on December 18 and reached No. 5 on the pop albums chart and No. 1 on the R&B albums chart. Recorded at Motown's Hitsville U.S.A. studio in Detroit, the album featured the No. 1 hit single, "I Want You Back ".Grand Funk Grand Funk Railroad , was released on December 29 and reached No. 11 on the pop albums chart.
Chronology of events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Births
January 1 – Verne Troyer , actor (Mini-Me in the Austin Powers Sturgis, Michigan
March 18 – Mike Dumas , NFL safety (1991-2000), in Grand Rapids, Michigan
April 19 – Dana Nessel , 54th Attorney General of Michigan
June 6 – Erik Prince , former U.S. Navy SEAL officer and founder and former CEO and chairman of the government services and security company Blackwater USA , now known as Academi, in Holland, Michigan
October 8 – Jeremy Davies , actor (Saving Private Ryan Lost Justified Traverse City, Michigan
October 23 – Sanjay Gupta , neurosurgeon and CNN's Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent, in Novi, Michigan
Gallery of 1969 births
Deaths
January 28 – Jesse P. Wolcott , U.S. Congressman (1931–1957), at age 75
April 10 – Alvin Morell Bentley , U.S. Congressman (1953-1961), at age 50 in Tucson, Arizona
May 5 – Eddie Cicotte , Major League Baseball pitcher (1905-1920) banned from baseball due to the Black Sox scandal , at age 84 in Livonia, Michigan
June 27 – Allen James Babcock , Bishop of Grand Rapids (1954-1969), at age 71
October 6 – Walter Hagen , golfer with 11 professional majors championships, at age 76 in Traverse City, Michigan
Gallery of 1969 deaths
See also
References
^ "Ann Arbor Murders Top Story" . The News-Palladium, Benton Harbor, Michigan . December 24, 1969. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Gribbs Wins Mayor Race: One of Closest Contests in History" . Detroit Free Press . November 5, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Knudsen Out in Ford Shakeup" . Detroit Free Press . September 12, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Wharton Will Head MSU" . Lansing State Journal . October 17, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Crash Fatal to Augenstein" . Lansing State Journal . November 9, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .^ "U-M's Upset Of OSU, Top Story" . The Holland Evening Sentinel . December 31, 1969. p. 22 – via Newspapers.com .^ "U-M Humbles OSU: The Smell of Roses" . Detroit Free Press . November 23, 1969. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com .^ a b "1969 Michigan Wolverines Stats" . SR/College Football . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "Haywood Quits U-D to Play Pro Ball" . Detroit Free Press . August 24, 1969. p. 1C – via Newspapers.com .^ "Wings Fire Bill Gadsby; Then Lose 1st" . Detroit Free Press . October 17, 1962. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com .^ "Tigers Fire Sain as Pitching Coach" . Detroit Free Press . August 11, 1969. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com .^ "Ziegler Wins -- Golf Classic Can't Pay!" . Detroit Free Press . September 8, 1969. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com .^ a b "1969 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players" . Pro-Football-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ a b "1968–69 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics" . Hockey-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ a b "1969 Detroit Tigers Statistics" . Baseball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "Death Prevents Benington's Greatest Victory" . Lansing State Journal . September 11, 1969. p. F1 – via Newspapers.com .^ "Dave Bing to Quit Pistons for ABA: Agrees To Leave After 1970-71 Season" . Detroit Free Press . September 3, 1969. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com .^ "Schweigert OK'd For Lt. Governor" . Battle Creek Enquirer and News . March 27, 1969. p. 9 – via Newspapers.com .^ Riegle switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 1973.
^ "2012 University of Michigan Baseball Record Book" (PDF) . University of Michigan. 2012. pp. 22, 76. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1969 Michigan State Spartans Stats" . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 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 August 23, 2017 .^ "Football Records: Annual Results" . Western Michigan University. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1968–69 Detroit Pistons Roster and Stats" . Basketball-Reference.com . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1968–69 Michigan Wolverines Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1967–69 Detroit Titans Roster and Stats" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1968–69 Michigan State Spartans Roster and Stats" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "1968–69 Western Michigan Broncos Schedule and Results" . SR/CBB . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "Michigan Tech Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "Michigan Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .^ "Michigan State Team History" . College Hockey News. Retrieved August 23, 2017 .
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