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HONORING THE LIFE OF FORMER MICHIGAN ATTORNEY GENERAL FRANK KELLEY
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HON. DEBBIE DINGELL
of michigan
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 1, 2021
Mrs. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley. His contributions to the State of Michigan and to our nation are worthy of commendation.
Frank Kelley was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1924. The first in his family to graduate from college, he attended the University of Detroit where he earned his law degree and then moved to Alpena, Michigan to serve as city attorney. He was appointed to the position of Michigan Attorney General by Governor John Swainson in 1961. The longest serving attorney general in Michigan history, he served for thirty-seven years under five different Governors, both Republicans and Democrats. He often recalled what U.S. Attorney General Robert Kertnedy told him shortly before his appointment to the office of Michigan Attorney General: ``Reach out against injustice wherever you see it and protect the public.'' He truly was the people's lawyer.
During his tenure as Michigan Attorney General, he was known for his leadership on the issues of the environment, civil rights, and consumer protection. He fought back against utility companies and powerful corporations regardless of if it could damage his political career. In the early 1960s, when it remained unpopular to advocate for racial justice, he prosecuted a White gang for the killing of a young Black man named Grady Little. From combating high interest rates and price fixing to protecting our natural resources, he was relentless in the pursuit of justice for all Michiganders. A chamion for the environment even in retirement, he was there in January 2020 when Governor Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a lawsuit against seventeen chemical companies accused of being responsible for PFAS contamination. The lasting impact of his work on the State of Michigan and its citizens is impossible to measure.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and legacy of former Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley, a friend and mentor to many. He has honorably served our State and this country. Our thoughts are with the Kelley family and the people of the State of Michigan at this time as they mourn the loss of the eternal general.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 59
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