Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-06
Reyes Defeated
Man Who Beat
Him in 40 Race
Dienan Elected
in First Campaign;
Brake Was Senator
By DON GARDNER
Times star Correspondents


LANSING, Nov. 6. - When
Harry F. Kelly calls his first meet
ing of the state administrative
board as Michigan's governor, he
will see the faces of three new
state officers familiar enough
among politicians, but only names
to most of the populace.
Winners in Tuesdays Republic
can sweep, they will be 1t. Gov.
Eugene c. Keyes. Secretary OF
State Herman H. Dignan- and
Treasurer d. Hale Brake.
Little more than two years ago.
Keyes injected himself into state
politics by announcing he would
be a candidate for the states
second highest post.
PLASTERED THE STATE
He plastered the state with bill
boards, direct mail and newspaper
advertising, but lost the general
election TO Frank Murphy.
Seeking the same office this
year, he was not welcomed into
the inner Republican fold with
open arms. But as leaders realized
his vote getting ability, they got
to know him better and pro-
nounced him a good guy"
Keyes' rise from obscurity to
political prominence reads like an
Horatio Alger novel. Born on
farm in Canada, he worked in field
and factory to get funds to study
dentistry at Toronto. Upon gradua-
ton he came to Michigan and set
up offices in Dearborn.
1t wasn't long before he began
the study of medicine and soon
obtained his M. d. degree. Not
content with these two professional
degrees, he studied law at night
and passed the bar.
No one with more degrees has
held public office in Michigan.
Asked once why he didn't stick
to one. he answered.:
"I've got to keep going or
I'll get stale. I only learned
dentistry to get enough money
to study medicine and law"
Now he has his own hospital In
Dearborn. where he has had a
stormy career as councilman. He
has never married.
SUCCESSFUL MERCHANT
Dignan will come to Lansing
with a background of two terms
in the House and two terms in the
Senate behind him. With him,
politics has been a hobby and
means of protecting the rights of
small business in the Legislature.
During his four terms, he intro
duced no bills unless they bore a
stamp of responsibility" He was
dead set against "screwball' legis-
lation and voted for bills on their
merits rather than the strength Of
their backing.
Dignan was born in Saginaw So
years ago and for Is years has
been a successful hardware mer-
chant in Owosso. 1t was in Owosso
he knew Thomas f. Dewey, now
governor-elect of New York state
as man and boy and was one OF
the prime movers behind Deweys
campaign for the presidential
nomination two years ago.
d. Hale Brake sacrificed a life
time ambition to become state
treasurer. Small town lawyer and
farmer (he's got calloused hands
to prove IT'D he has always wanted
to be states attorney general.
Brake left four terms in the
state Senate behind him to run
for lieutenant governor last fall
in difference to Herbert J. Rushton
running for reelection. Failing to
receive the nomination. he was
asked to become the Republican
candidate for treasurer instead.
II was during this last session
that Brake led the fight for an
anti-chain banking act, a piece OF
/ Legislation bitterly opposed by the
Van Wagner administration.
BY series of clever trades and
manipulations Brake succeeded in
getting bills through both houses
only to have il vetoed by the gov
ernor. A second attempt to pass
III over the governors veto failed