Frank Fitzgerald

Frank Dwight Fitzgerald ( born January 27, 1885 in Grand Ledge, Eaton County, Michigan, † March 16, 1939 ) was an American politician and from 1935 to 1937 and the 34th in 1939, the 36th Governor of the State of Michigan.

Early years and political rise

Frank Fitzgerald visited the Grand Ledge High School and Ferris Institute in Big Rapids. Since 1913 to 1919 he worked in the management of both the House of Representatives and the Senate of Michigan. Between 1919 and 1923 he was Deputy Secretary of State of Michigan; 1931 to 1934, he served then as the actual Secretary of State. Fitzgerald also took in the Republican Party right leading tasks. Between 1925 and 1926, and again from 1929 to 1930 he was in the State Board of his party. In the years 1924, 1932 and 1936, he attended the Republican National Convention as a delegate.

Governor of Michigan

In 1934, Fitzgerald was as a candidate of his party as the new governor of Michigan. He sat down with 52.4 percent of the vote to Democrat Arthur J. Lacy by and took up his new post on 1 January 1935. In his two-year tenure, the country continued to recover from the global economic crisis. Governor Fitzgerald managed to set up a balanced budget, and entered for further consolidation of the government departments. In 1936 he ran again, but his defeated Democratic challenger Frank Murphy. However, he managed to Murphy revenge by winning the gubernatorial elections of 1938 against this. Fitzgerald's second term began on 1 January 1939 and was supposed to run until January 1941. However, he died already in March 1939 after less than three months into his second term. He was the first and only governor of Michigan, who died in office. He was also officiated by John S. Barry, the middle of the 19th century, only the second governor of his state with two non-contiguous terms. After Fitzgerald 's death, Deputy Governor Dickinson lur the governorship.

Frank Fitzgerald was married to Queena M. Warner, with whom he had a child.