1940 in Michigan

Events from the year 1940 in Michigan.

Top stories

The Associated Press polled editors of its member newspapers in Michigan and ranked the state's top news stories of 1940 as follows:[1]

  1. The Armistice Day storm that killed 67 persons and destroyed five vessels on Lake Michigan[2][3]
  2. The indictment of Frank McKay, Michigan's Republican national committeeman on federal mail fraud charges
  3. Michigan's contribution to the national defense effort, including conversion of automobile manufacturing facilities to the production of airplanes, tanks, and machine guns; draft registration of 672,000 men; national guardsmen called to a year's training; and Henry Ford expressing his view on the new war
  4. The November 5 election, including the defeat of 81-year-old Governor Luren Dickinson by Democrat Murray Van Wagoner; widespread ballot-splitting; and a victory for advocates of a statewide civil service system
  5. The indictment of numerous Detroit and Wayne County officials on graft charges, including Wayne County Prosecutor Duncan C. McRea, Detroit Mayor Richard Reading, Wayne County Sheriff Thomas C. Wilcox, and Detroit Police Superintendent Fred Frahm
  6. 1940 Detroit Tigers season, including the declaration of young players to be free agents, the American League pennant, Bobo Newsom's performance, and defeat in the 1940 World Series
  7. Wendell Willkie's visit to Michigan, where he was targeted with tomatoes, eggs and other objects, and his narrow victory over Franklin Roosevelt in the November 5 vote count in Michigan
  8. Tom Harmon's All-American performance for the 1940 Michigan Wolverines football team
  9. The service of Matilda Dodge Wilson as the first woman to serve as Michigan's Lieutenant Governor, a position she held from January 1, 1940, to January 1, 1941
  10. The defeat of Michigan Attorney General Thomas Read in his campaign for renomination by a bloc seeking to end "boss rule" of the state's Republican Party

Other stories receiving votes included a political fight over the extent of state aid for the care and treatment of crippled children; a murder-suicide of Wayne County Judge Robert Sage and two of his associates; the 1940 Census results entitling Michigan to an additional congressman and showed a population shift away from urban districts; Congressional approval for construction of the Mackinac Bridge; and the appointment of former Governor Frank Murphy to the U.S. Supreme Court.[1]

Office holders

State office holders

Mayors of major cities

Federal office holders

Population

In the 1940 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 5,256,106, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1950, Michigan's population had increased by 21.2% to 6,371,766.

Cities

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 20,000 based on 1940 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1930 and 1950 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1940
Rank
City County 1940 Pop. 1946 Est. 1950 Pop. Change 1940-50
1DetroitWayne1,623,4521,815,000[4]1,849,56813.9%
2Grand RapidsKent164,292176,5157.4%
3FlintGenesee151,543163,1437.7%
4SaginawSaginaw82,79492,91812.2%
5LansingIngham78,75390,000[5]92,12917.0%
6PontiacOakland66,62673,68110.6%
7DearbornWayne63,58994,99449.4%
8KalamazooKalamazoo54,09757,7046.7%
9Highland ParkWayne50,81046,393−8.7%
10HamtramckWayne49,83948,938[6]43,555−12.6%
11JacksonJackson49,65651,0882.9%
12Bay CityBay47,95652,5239.5%
13MuskegonMuskegon47,69748,4291.5%
14Battle CreekCalhoun43,45348,66612.0%
15Port HuronSt. Clair32,75935,7259.1%
16WyandotteWayne30,61836,84620.3%
17Ann ArborWashtenaw29,81548,25161.8%
18Royal OakOakland25,08746,89886.9%
19FerndaleOakland22,52329,67531.8%

Counties

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 75,000 based on 1940 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1930 and 1950 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases.

1940
Rank
County Largest city 1930 Pop. 1940 Pop. 1950 Pop. Change 1940-50
1WayneDetroit1,888,9462,015,6232,435,23520.8%
2OaklandPontiac211,251254,068396,00155.9%
3KentGrand Rapids240,511246,338288,29217.0%
4GeneseeFlint211,641227,944270,96318.9%
5InghamLansing116,587130,616172,94132.4%
6SaginawSaginaw120,717130,468153,51517.7%
7MacombWarren77,146107,638184,96171.8%
8KalamazooKalamazoo91,368100,085126,70726.6%
9JacksonJackson92,30493,108108,16816.2%
10MuskegonMuskegon84,63094,501121,54528.6%
11CalhounBattle Creek87,04394,206120,81328.2%

Companies

The following is a list of major companies based in Michigan in 1940.

Company 1940 sales (millions) 1940 net earnings (millions) Headquarters Core business
General MotorsDetroitAutomobiles
Ford Motor Companynana[7]Automobiles
ChryslerAutomobiles
Studebaker Corp.Automobiles
Briggs Mfg. Co.DetroitAutomobile parts supplier
S. S. KresgeRetail
Hudson Motor Car Co.DetroitAutomobiles
Detroit EdisonElectric utility
Michigan BellTelephone utility
Kellogg'sBattle CreekBreakfast cereal
Parke-DavisDetroitPharmaceutical
REO Motor Car Co.LansingAutomobiles
Burroughs Adding MachineBusiness machines

Sports

Baseball

American football

Basketball

Ice hockey

Boat racing

  • APBA Gold Cup – Sidney Allen won the Gold Cup in the Hotsy Totsy III.
  • Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race – The yawl Manitou, skippered by James Rowland Lowe, won the annual yacht race on July 14, setting a new record time of 32 hours, 45 minutes.

Boxing

  • Heavyweight champion Joe Louis defended his heavyweight title in four matches against Arturo Godoy (February 9, split decision), Johnny Paychek (March 29, TKO), Arturo Godoy (June 20, TKO), and Al McCoy (December 16, corner retirement).

Golfing

Chronology of events

February

  • February 19 - Republican Bartel J. Jonkman was elected in a special election to fill the vacancy left by Republican U.S. Congressman Carl E. Mapes's death in office on December 12, 1939.[18]

September

November

Births

  • January 31 - George Mans, American football player and coach, in Detroit
  • February 15 - Leon Ware, songwriter and producer for Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson, in Detroit
  • February 19 - Smokey Robinson, singer, songwriter, and record producer, and the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group The Miracles, in Detroit
  • May 10 - Stephen M. Ross, real estate developer and sports team owner, in Detroit
  • May 10 - Wayne Dyer, self-help author and a motivational speaker, in Detroit
  • May 12 - Norman Whitfield, songwriter and producer ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine", "Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)" ) credited with creating the Motown sound, in Harlem, New York City
  • July 6 - Rex Cawley, gold medalist 400 meter hurdles at 1964 Summer Olympics, in Highland Park, MI
  • August 22 - Bill McCartney, American football coach and the founder of the Promise Keepers men's ministry, in Riverview, MI
  • August 29 - Bennie Maupin, jazz multireedist, in Detroit
  • October 16 - Dave DeBusschere, Basketball Hall of Fame, in Detroit
  • November 2 - Ed Budde, American football guard 5× AFL All-Star, in Highland Park, MI
  • November 11 - Dennis Coffey, guitarist known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single "Scorpio", in Detroit

Deaths

  • August 18 - Walter Chrysler, founder of Chrysler Corporation, at age 65 in Kings Point, NY

See also

References

  1. Ted Peck (January 1, 1941). "Storm Highlights Michigan News". The Battle Creek Enquirer and News. p. IV-4 via Newspapers.com.
  2. "City of Flint Aground in Gale; Freighter Is Wrecked in Lake". The Ludington Daily News. November 12, 1940. p. 1 via Newspapers.com.
  3. "Rescue 17 Men From Freighter; Toll Is Three Ships and 68 Men". The Ludington Daily News. November 13, 1940. p. 1 via Newspapers.com.
  4. "L.A. Gives the Count to Detroit". Detroit Free Press. July 28, 1946. p. 1 via Newspapers.com.
  5. "City Needs 7,000 Homes". Lansing State Journal. March 10, 1946. p. 23 via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Unusual Statistics Of State Revealed". Lansing State Journal. January 25, 1946. p. 18 via Newspapers.com.
  7. Ford was a privately held company until 1956. Accordingly, its financial results for 1940 were not made public.
  8. "1940 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
  9. "1940 MLB Batting Leaders". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  10. "2012 University of Michigan Baseball Record Book" (PDF). University of Michigan. 2012. pp. 22, 70. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  11. 2012 Record Book, p. 13.
  12. "1940 Detroit Lions Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
  13. "1940 Football Team". Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan. Retrieved July 10, 2017.
  14. "1940 Michigan State Spartans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 16, 2017.
  15. "1940 Detroit Mercy Titans Schedule and Results". SR/College Football. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved November 23, 2015.
  16. John N. Sabo (March 12, 1940). "Record Performance by Calihan Highlights Detroit's Cage Season". Detroit Free Press. p. 17 via Newspapers.com.
  17. "1939-40 Detroit Red Wings Roster and Statistics". Hockey Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
  18. "Our Campaigns - MI District 05 - Special Election". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  19. "Our Campaigns - MI Governor - D Primary Race - Sept 10, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  20. "Our Campaigns - MI Governor - R Primary Race - Sept 10, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  21. "1940 Presidential General Election Results - Michigan". Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  22. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 1924" (PDF). Clerk.house.gov. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
  23. "Our Campaigns - MI Governor - Nov 05, 1940". Our Campaigns. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
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