Soapy: A Biography of G. Mennen Williams

by Thomas J. Noer

"This is an important book about an important public official, G. Mennen 'Soapy' Williams---an unabashed liberal, a true humanitarian, and a great patriot."---George McGovern"Soapy Williams had a deep talent not only to compel but on occasion to repel."---John Kenneth Galbraith"Thomas Noer has written a model biography of a fascinating political figure. He brings Williams to life with all his contradictions, old-fashioned qualities, and admirable idealism."---Robert Divine, George W. Littlefield Professor Emeritus in American History, University of Texas"G. Mennen 'Soapy' Williams was not only a giant in the 20th century history of the Michigan Democratic Party, the history of the state of Michigan and our nation-he was a giant ahead of his time. Throughout his long and extremely distinguished career as Governor of Michigan, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court, Soapy maintained an unwavering commitment to equality, justice and civil rights for all people."---Senator Carl LevinIn this first complete biography of G. Mennen "Soapy" Williams, author Thomas Noer brings to life the story of one of the most controversial and colorful politicians in twentieth-century American politics and a giant in the Michigan Democratic Party.In 1948, winning a stunning upset, Williams became Michigan's second Democratic governor since the Civil War and was reelected five times. He served under Kennedy and Johnson as Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, briefly held the post of U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines, and was a member of the Michigan Supreme Court from 1970 to 1986, serving as Chief Justice in his last term.Sporting his instantly recognizable trademark green and white polka-dot bow tie, Williams was a flamboyant character. He was also known for his energetic campaign he could say "hello" in seventeen languages, would shake hands with as many as five thousand factory workers a day, and made seemingly endless diplomatic trips to Africa. All of this captured the attention of the media and the public and made Williams into a celebrity.Beneath his showy public persona, however, Williams also made important contributions to American diplomatic and political history. He built an unrivaled political machine in Michigan, bringing organized labor, African Americans, and ethnic groups into a new coalition; influenced the shift in American policy toward support for African independence; and wrote landmark decisions as a jurist on the Michigan Supreme Court.The fascinating story of a complex and complicated man, Soapy will introduce one of the great American political figures of the twentieth century to a new generation of readers.

554 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 15, 2005

Reviews

[Tim Null · Rating 4 out of 5]

The internet remembers everything until it forgets. After that there are books.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Years ago I was in Vermont in an even year election and noted all the signs wherever I went which
simply said Bernie. At that time Bernie Sanders was simply the at large Representative for Vermont
and such was his identification that simply the first name was all that was needed.

In Michigan during the 50s all that was needed for the popular Democratic governor was just the
nickname he was known by. G. Mennen Williams just simply called Soapy was the heir to the Mennen cosmetics fortune from Grosse Pointe of a respectable Republican family. But Soapy as
everyone called him became a New Deal Democrat in college. For him government only worked if it
was helping the least of us. He also early on embraced civil rights as an issue and the right of workers to organize in unions. Two big concerns with an increasing black population in Detroit and
the struggle to organize in the automobile industry. Organized labor and black voters were his in
every subsequent campaign.

After a term as a required minority appointment on the Michigan Liquor Control Board, Williams
took a flyer at running for governor in 1948 and upset the Republican incumbent Kim Sigler. Those were two year terms then and Soapy Williams won five more times. Williams had to deal
with a Republican Legislature which was gerrymandered to favor the rural GOP counties. Still he
was able to quite a bit chiefly his most visible accomplishment was the construction of the Mackinac Bridge connecting the two Michigan peninsulas. Before that it was like being governor of two different states at the same time with the Upper Peninsula identifying more with Wisconsin.

In 1958 he should have run for the US Senate, but he deferred to his Lt.Governor Philip Hart who
ran and did win for the Senate. Williams might have served three decades as he died in 1988. But
he ran for a 6th term as governor and got into a real pissing contest with the GOP Legislature over
the budget. Neither would give in and the state went through a financial crisis. That also fixed
any presidential ideas Williams might have had and he signed on with John F. Kennedy.

Kennedy given Williams support among black people made him Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs. Our State Department only had an African Department since the Eisenhower
Administration created one, our ignorance of the continent was vast. In both the Kennedy and
Johnson years Williams supported the end of colonialism, but was up against Cold War concerns
with others in the department.

His only loss came in 1966 when he ran for US Senate against Republican Robert Griffin. By that
time he'd been out of Michigan too long was quite frankly old news. LBJ did make him Ambassador to the Phillipines for the remainder of Johnson's term.

Williams was one of those who truly enjoyed campaigning. Loved going out meeting the people,
pressing the flesh. He had a trademark green polka dot bow tie that he adopted from his first
race and was never without it. Quite something for a Grosse Pointe aristocrat.

His last position was on the Michigan Supreme Court when he was elected in 1974. Even then he
saw this as just a way station until he got back into electoral politics. It dawned on him that he
was in fact last year's news and gradually warmed to the more cloistered atmosphere of the judiciary. Even then beneath the robes he was never without the green polka dot bow tie.

Williams's life is indispensable to anyone studying the state of Michigan politics. He is also
sadly a most forgotten character of the middle of the last century and shouldn't be. Thomas J.
Noer's book will bring Soapy Williams alive again like he was campaigning for your vote.

He'd have gotten mine.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

In-depth look into a forgotten giant of Michigan. Special thanks to the author for bringing Soapy to life today. It was amusing to see how ahead (and behind) of his time Soapy really was, especially with the refusal to compromise on his ideology and his willingness to take the cutthroat attack. A fascinating man who really wanted to make government the tool to help bring the country together.

Entertaining and well-organized biography.

[Christopher Gould · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book, in part because the Straits of Mackinac is in many ways my spiritual home (in addition to the place I spend about half the year), and Williams had much to do with the place. I never thought of Williams as obscure per se, although I suppose in the realm of national politics he was. I admire his unapologetic and idealistic liberalism, and I regard Williams as one of the good guys who did what he could to make this a better world. I did not know how important his religious views were to his progressive politics (something I share) and appreciate the author’s work in elaborating on that. All in all, this is an extremely well-written and complete bio which not only paints a picture of a place in time but also provides information relevant to today’s world.

[Jacob Hilliker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michigan owes Soapy more than they know. A fantastic story of a caring politician.

[Justin Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a book it is rather repetitive, but that’s understandable as many of the events were repeated. The subject of Soapy Williams is beyond interesting and makes the repetition worth it!