Interlochen Public Radio and Detroit Public TV to Carry Special Tribute to Michigan Governor William Milliken

Interlochen Public Radio and Detroit Public TV to carry this week's special tribute to Michigan's longest-serving governor, who passed away last year. Join the celebration of his life Thursday, Aug. 6, at 2 p.m. on DPTV.org or Interlochen Public Radio.

Gov. William G. Milliken, who served as Michigan's governor from 1969-1983, will be remembered, among many other things, for being a symbol of a different era of politics, less divisive and more collaborative, when the ability to compromise was considered a positive attribute for an officeholder.

He died last October in his birthplace, Traverse City. His life and all the good he did in it will be celebrated this Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. It will be carried on a number of public media websites across the state, including DPTV.org and Interlochen Public Radio.

Speakers honoring and remembering the governor will include current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer; Bill Rustem, a senior policy advisor in both the Milliken and Snyder administrations; retired Captain Arlyn Brower of the Michigan State Police; Chuck Stokes, WXYZ-TV editorial director; and journalist Jack Lessenberry.

Bill Milliken was especially known for his prioritizing of the state's environment, his efforts to help the city of Detroit, and successfully promoting a culture of civility and bipartisan cooperation in state government.

Prior to becoming Michigan's 44th governor, Milliken served in the state Senate and as the state's lieutenant governor. He also was president of the former Milliken's department stores and flew 50 combat missions in Europe during World War II.

A devoted supporter and advocate for the arts, Milliken served on the Interlochen Board of Trustees from 1983 to 1997 and was a vital member of the larger Interlochen community for decades.

I asked Bill Rustem, a former member of the Milliken staff, what he recalled about his lifelong friend:

"Governor Milliken was the greatest man I ever knew. He taught me that it is always better to listen than to shout and that there is nobility in public service.

"I remember a staff meeting when someone began to talk about the political repercussions of a pending decision, arguing that the decision could be bad politically for the governor. Governor Milliken stopped the discussion and simply said, 'Good policy is good politics.' That was the end of political discussions at staff meetings.

"He had an innate sense of what was right and what is wrong, and always sought to find common ground solutions for tough problems. Perhaps most importantly, he emphasized the ties that bring people together, rather than drive them apart. Like Lincoln, he wanted our 'Better Angels' to prevail."

Bill also shared many fine quotes from Gov. Milliken himself, including this one, which I think will resonate in these times of division and stress:

"In Michigan, our soul is not to be found in steel or concrete, or sprawling new housing developments, or strip malls. Rather, it is found in the soft petals of a trillium, the gentle whispers of a headwater stream, the vista of a Great Lakes shoreline, and the wonder in children's eyes upon seeing their first bald eagle. It is that soul that we must preserve."

For more information about this special event, visit Interlochen Center for the Arts.