# 1936 in Michigan

Events from the year 1936 in Michigan.

## Office holders
### State office holders

* Governor of Michigan: Frank Fitzgerald (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Thomas Reed (Republican)
* Michigan Attorney General: David H. Crowley
* Michigan Secretary of State: Orville E. Atwood (Republican)
* Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: George A. Schroeder
* Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: Walter Harper North

### Mayors of major cities

* Mayor of Detroit: Frank Couzens (Republican)
* Mayor of Grand Rapids: William Timmers/Tunis Johnson
* Mayor of Flint: George E. Boysen/Harold E. Bradshaw
* Mayor of Dearborn: John Carey
* Mayor of Saginaw: Ben N. Mercer/Frank Marxer
* Mayor of Lansing: Max A. Templeton
* Mayor of Ann Arbor: Robert A. Campbell

### Federal office holders

* U.S. Senator from Michigan: James J. Couzens (Republican)/Prentiss M. Brown (Democrat)
* U.S. Senator from Michigan: Arthur Vandenberg (Republican)
* House District 1: George G. Sadowski (Democrat)
* House District 2: Earl C. Michener (Republican)
* House District 3: Verner Main (Republican)
* House District 4: Clare Hoffman (Republican)
* House District 5: Carl E. Mapes (Republican)
* House District 6: William W. Blackney (Republican)
* House District 7: Jesse P. Wolcott (Republican)
* House District 8: Fred L. Crawford (Republican)
* House District 9: Albert J. Engel (Republican)
* House District 10: Roy O. Woodruff (Republican)
* House District 11: Prentiss M. Brown (Democrat)
* House District 12: Frank Eugene Hook (Democrat)
* House District 13: Clarence J. McLeod (Republican)
* House District 14: Louis C. Rabaut (Democrat)
* House District 15: John D. Dingell Sr. (Democrat)
* House District 16: John Lesinski Sr. (Democrat)
* House District 17: George Anthony Dondero (Republican)

## Population

In the 1930 United States census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 4,842,325, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1940, Michigan's population had increased by 8.5% to 5,256,106.

### Cities

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 20,000 based on 1930 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1920 and 1940 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.
| 1930 Rank | City | County | 1920 Pop. | 1930 Pop. | 1940 Pop. | Change 1930-40 |
| 1 | Detroit | Wayne | 993,678 | 1,568,662 | 1,623,452 | 3.5% |
| 2 | Grand Rapids | Kent | 137,634 | 168,592 | 164,292 | −2.6% |
| 3 | Flint | Genesee | 91,599 | 156,492 | 151,543 | −3.2% |
| 4 | Saginaw | Saginaw | 61,903 | 80,715 | 82,794 | 2.6% |
| 5 | Lansing | Ingham | 57,327 | 78,397 | 78,753 | 0.5% |
| 6 | Pontiac | Oakland | 34,273 | 64,928 | 66,626 | 2.6% |
| 7 | Hamtramck | Wayne | 48,615 | 56,268 | 49,839 | −11.4% |
| 8 | Jackson | Jackson | 48,374 | 55,187 | 49,656 | −10.0% |
| 9 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 48,487 | 54,786 | 54,097 | −1.3% |
| 10 | Highland Park | Wayne | 46,499 | 52,959 | 50,810 | −4.1% |
| 11 | Dearborn | Wayne | 2,470 | 50,358 | 63,589 | 26.3% |
| 12 | Bay City | Bay | 47,554 | 47,355 | 47,956 | 1.3% |
| 13 | Battle Creek | Calhoun | 36,164 | 45,573 | 43,453 | −4.7% |
| 14 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 36,570 | 41,390 | 47,697 | 15.2% |
| 15 | Port Huron | St. Clair | 25,944 | 31,361 | 32,759 | 4.5% |
| 16 | Wyandotte | Wayne | 13,851 | 28,368 | 30,618 | 7.9% |
| 17 | Ann Arbor | Washtenaw | 19,516 | 26,944 | 29,815 | 10.7% |
| 18 | Royal Oak | Oakland | 6,007 | 22,904 | 25,087 | 9.5% |
| 19 | Ferndale | Oakland | 2,640 | 20,855 | 22,523 | 8.0% |

### Counties

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 50,000 based on 1930 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1920 and 1940 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases.
| 1930 Rank | County | Largest city | 1920 Pop. | 1930 Pop. | 1940 Pop. | Change 1930-40 |
| 1 | Wayne | Detroit | 1,177,645 | 1,888,946 | 2,015,623 | 6.7% |
| 2 | Kent | Grand Rapids | 183,041 | 240,511 | 246,338 | 2.4% |
| 3 | Genesee | Flint | 125,668 | 211,641 | 227,944 | 7.7% |
| 4 | Oakland | Pontiac | 90,050 | 211,251 | 254,068 | 20.3% |
| 5 | Saginaw | Saginaw | 100,286 | 120,717 | 130,468 | 8.1% |
| 6 | Ingham | Lansing | 81,554 | 116,587 | 130,616 | 12.0% |
| 7 | Jackson | Jackson | 72,539 | 92,304 | 93,108 | 0.9% |
| 8 | Kalamazoo | Kalamazoo | 71,225 | 91,368 | 100,085 | 9.5% |
| 9 | Calhoun | Battle Creek | 72,918 | 87,043 | 94,206 | 8.2% |
| 10 | Muskegon | Muskegon | 62,362 | 84,630 | 94,501 | 11.7% |
| 11 | Berrien | Benton Harbor | 62,653 | 81,066 | 89,117 | 9.9% |
| 12 | Macomb | Warren | 38,103 | 77,146 | 107,638 | 39.5% |
| 13 | Bay | Bay City | 69,548 | 69,474 | 74,981 | 7.9% |
| 14 | St. Clair | Port Huron | 58,009 | 67,563 | 76,222 | 12.8% |
| 15 | Washtenaw | Ann Arbor | 49,520 | 65,530 | 80,810 | 23.3% |
| 16 | Ottawa | Holland | 47,660 | 54,858 | 59,660 | 8.8% |
| 17 | Houghton | Houghton | 71,930 | 52,851 | 47,631 | −9.9% |
| 18 | Monroe | Monroe | 37,115 | 52,485 | 58,620 | 11.7% |
| 19 | Lenawee | Adrian | 47,767 | 49,849 | 53,110 | 6.5% |

## Sports
### Baseball

* 1936 Detroit Tigers season – Under player-manager Mickey Cochrane, the Tigers compiled an 83-71 record and finished in second place in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included second baseman Charlie Gehringer with a .354 batting average and 60 doubles, Goose Goslin with 24 home runs and 125 RBIs, and Tommy Bridges with 23 wins and a 3.60 earned run average.
* 1936 Michigan Wolverines baseball season - Under head coach Ray Fisher, the Wolverines compiled a 20–5 record and won the Big Ten Conference championship. Berger Larson was the team captain.

### American football

* 1936 Detroit Lions season – Under head coach Potsy Clark, the Lions compiled an 8–4 record and placed third in the NFL's Western Division. The team's statistical leaders included Dutch Clark with 467 passing yards and 73 points scored, Ace Gutowsky with 827 rushing yards, and Harry Ebding with 194 receiving yards.
* 1936 Michigan Wolverines football team – The Wolverines compiled a 1–7 record under head coach Harry Kipke.
* 1936 Michigan State Spartans football team – The Spartans compiled a 6–1–2 record under head coach Charlie Bachman.
* 1936 Michigan State Normal Hurons football team – The Hurons compiled a record of 6–2 and outscored opponents by a total of 76 to 53.
* 1936 Detroit Titans football team – The Titans compiled a 7–3 record under head coach Gus Dorais.
* 1936 Wayne Tartars football team – The Tartars compiled a 5–2–1 record under head coach Joe Gembis.

### Basketball

* 1935–36 Western Michigan Broncos men's basketball team – Under head coach Buck Read, the Broncos compiled a 15–3 record.
* 1935–36 Detroit Titans men's basketball team – Under head coach Lloyd Brazil, the Titans compiled a 12–5 record.
* 1935–36 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team – Under head coach Franklin Cappon, the Wolverines compiled an 8–12 record. Johnny Gee and Chelso Tamagno were members of the team.
* 1935–36 Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team – Under head coach Benjamin Van Alstyne, the Spartans compiled an 8–9 record.
* 1935–36 Wayne Tartars men's basketball team – Under coach Newman Ertell, Wayne compiled a 13–4 record.

### Ice hockey

* 1935–36 Detroit Red Wings season – Under coach Jack Adams, the Red Wings compiled a 24–16–8 record, finished in first place in the National Hockey League (NHL) American Division, and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1936 Stanley Cup Finals. The team's statistical leaders included Marty Barry with 21 goals and 40 points and Herbie Lewis with 23 assists.
* 1935–36 Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team – Under head coach Ed Lowrey, the Wolverines compiled a 7–9 record.
* 1935–36 Michigan Tech Huskies men's ice hockey team – Under head coach Bert Noblet, the Huskies compiled a 6–9–1 record.

### Other

* Port Huron to Mackinac Boat Race – On July 19, the Baccarat owned by Russell Alger won the race with a corrected time of 40 hours, 27 minutes, 45 seconds.
* Michigan Open - On July 21, Marvin Stahl from Green Ridge Country Club in Grand Rapids won the event with a 284 total (four under par) in Jackson, Michigan.
* APBA Gold Cup – On July 26, Kaye Don driving Horace Dodge's Impshi, representing the Detroit Yacht Club, won the Gold Cup on the waters of Lake George.

## Births

* January 14 - Linda Lawson, television and film actress and singer, in Ann Arbor, Michigan
* January 27 - Samuel C. C. Ting, Nobel Prize-winning physicist who discovered the subatomic J/ψ particle, in Ann Arbor, Michigan
* February 11 - Burt Reynolds, actor (Deliverance, The Longest Yard, Smokey and the Bandit, Boogie Nights), in Lansing, Michigan
* February 29 - Jack R. Lousma, NASA astronaut (Skylab, Space Shuttle STS-3 commander), in Grand Rapids, Michigan
* March 26 - Jim Ninowski, NFL quarterback (1958-1969), in Detroit
* March 29 - Judith Guest, novelist (Ordinary People) and screenwriter (Ordinary People), in Detroit
* April 10 - Bobby Smith, one of the lead singers of Motown's The Spinners, in Detroit
* April 12 - Tony Earl, Governor of Wisconsin (1983-1987), in Lansing, Michigan
* June 6 - Levi Stubbs, lead singer of Motown's Four Tops, in Detroit
* June 14 - Dave Whitsell, NFL cornerback (1958-1969), in Shelby, Michigan
* June 15 - Renaldo Benson, one of Motown's Four Tops and co-writer of "What's Going On", in Detroit
* June 26 - Nancy Willard, author (Anatole trilogy, A Visit to William Blake's Inn), in Ann Arbor, Michigan
* June 28 - Fred Gladding, Major League Baseball pitcher (1961-1973), NL saves leader in 1969, in Flat Rock, Michigan
* August 16 - Ken W. Clawson, White House Communications Director under Presidents Nixon and Ford, in Monroe, Michigan
* September 11 - Paul Riser, trombonist, Motown musical arranger, one of the "Funk Brothers", in Detroit
* December 15 - Donald Goines, novelist (including the Kenyatta series), in Detroit

### Gallery of 1936 births

* Linda Lawson
* Samuel C. C. Ting
* Burt Reynolds
* Jack R. Lousma
* Levi Stubbs
* Renaldo Benson
* Fred Gladding

## Deaths

* January 18 - John Biddle, Detroit native, career Army officer, superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, at age 76 in San Antonio, Texas
* February 3 - Charles B. Warren, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (1924) and Japan (1921-1922), at age 65 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan
* February 16 - Roy D. Chapin, co-founder of Hudson Motor Co. and U.S. Secretary of Commerce (1932-1933), at age 55 in Detroit
* May 19 - Joe S. Jackson, sports writer and founder of Baseball Writers' Association of America, at age 64 in San Francisco
* September 20 - Perce Wilson, quarterback for Detroit Heralds in 1920, the first season of the NFL, at age 46
* October 22 - James J. Couzens, Mayor of Detroit (1919-1922) and U.S. Senator (1922-1936), at age 64 in Detroit
* October 31 - Deacon McGuire, Major League Baseball player (1884-1912), only person to play for Detroit Wolverines and Detroit Tigers, at age 72 in Duck Lake, Michigan
* November 6 - Henry Bourne Joy, President of the Packard Motor Car Company (1909-1926) and one of the organizers of the Lincoln Highway Association, at age 71
* November 30 - Fred W. Green, Governor of Michigan (1927-1931), at age 65 in Munising, Michigan

### Gallery of 1936 deaths

* John Biddle
* Charles B. Warren
* Roy D. Chapin
* James J. Couzens
* Deacon McGuire
* Henry Bourne Joy
* Fred W. Green