Robert P. Griffin

Robert P. Griffin
United States Senator
from Michigan
In office
May 11, 1966  January 3, 1979
Preceded by Patrick McNamara
Succeeded by Carl Levin
Senate Minority Whip
In office
September 7, 1969  January 3, 1977
Leader Hugh Scott
Preceded by Hugh Scott
Succeeded by Ted Stevens
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 9th district
In office
January 3, 1957  May 11, 1966
Preceded by Ruth Thompson
Succeeded by Guy Vander Jagt
Personal details
Born Robert Paul Griffin
(1923-11-06)November 6, 1923
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Died April 17, 2015(2015-04-17) (aged 91)
Traverse City, Michigan
Political party Republican
Alma mater Central Michigan University
University of Michigan Law School
Religion Congregationalist
Military service
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1943–1946
Unit 71st Infantry Division
Battles/wars World War II

Robert Paul Griffin (November 6, 1923 – April 17, 2015) was a Republican U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.

Early life

Griffin was born in Detroit, Michigan and attended public schools in Garden City and Dearborn. During the Second World War, he enlisted in the 71st Infantry Division in 1943 and spent fourteen months in Europe. After the war, he graduated from Central Michigan College (now Central Michigan University) at Mount Pleasant in 1947. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School and was admitted to the bar in 1950. He commenced the practice of law in Traverse City.

Career

Griffin was elected as a Republican to U.S. House of Representatives from the Michigan's 9th congressional district in 1956, unseating incumbent Ruth Thompson in the Republican primary. He served in the Eighty-fifth United States Congress and to the four succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1957, until his resignation May 10, 1966. He was appointed by Governor George Romney on May 11, 1966, to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Patrick V. McNamara.

He was elected November 8, 1966, to a full six-year term, defeating former Governor Soapy Williams by a 56% to 44% margin, commencing January 3, 1967 and was reelected in 1972, winning a tough race against state Attorney General Frank J. Kelley, and served from May 11, 1966, to January 2, 1979. He was Republican Whip 1969–1977.

In 1968, Griffin led a successful filibuster against the nomination of Supreme Court Associate Justice Abe Fortas to be elevated to Chief Justice, charging President (and former Senate Majority Leader) Lyndon B. Johnson with cronyism, noting the close relationship between him and Fortas. Fortas resigned his Associate Justice seat in May 1969 when it was discovered Fortas had been paid a $20,000 a year retainer by Louis Wolfson, a close friend and former client, since 1966.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1978, narrowly defeated by Democrat Carl Levin. He was a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court 1987–1994. His son, Richard Allen Griffin, was a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals from 1989 to 2005, until he was appointed by President George W. Bush to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in 2005.

During Griffin's first Senate campaign in 1966, a suburban Detroit rock band, Doug Brown and the Omens, released a promotional flexidisc in support of his candidacy. The song, "Give Bob The Ball" (which extolled Griffin's "youth and experience") has been included on the garage rock compilation album Friday At The Hideout.

Personal life

A resident of Traverse City, Griffin died on April 17, 2015, aged 91.[1]

Bibliography

References

  1. Shepardson, David (17 April 2015). "Former Michigan U.S. Sen. Griffin dies at 91". The Detroit News. Retrieved 17 April 2015.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Ruth Thompson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 9th congressional district

1957–1966
Succeeded by
Guy Vander Jagt
United States Senate
Preceded by
Patrick McNamara
United States Senator (Class 2) from Michigan
1966–1979
Served alongside: Philip Hart, Donald Riegle
Succeeded by
Carl Levin
Preceded by
Hugh Scott
Minority Whip of the United States Senate
1969–1977
Succeeded by
Ted Stevens
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