1975 in Michigan

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1975 in Michigan
History of Michigan
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Events from the year 1975 in Michigan.

The Associated Press (AP) selected the state's top news stories of 1975 as follows:[1]

  1. The disappearance of former Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa on July 30 from the parking lot of the Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township where he had planned to meet with organized crime figures, Anthony Provenzano and Anthony Giacalone;[2]
  2. The resignation of Michigan Supreme Court Justice and former Governor John Swainson on November 7, five days after his conviction on three counts of perjury charges for lying to a federal grand jury investigating Swainson's role in a bribery conspiracy involving an effort to secure a new trial for a convicted burglar;[3]
  3. An upturn in the automobile business following a major slump in 1974;
  4. The June 6 escape by helicopter of con man Dale Otto Remling from the nation's largest walled prison (Southern Michigan Prison in Jackson, Michigan) and his capture one day later at a bar 10 miles away in Leslie, Michigan;[4]
  5. The Michigan Legislature's struggles with a budget deficit;
  6. Flooding in southern lower Michigan reported to be the worst since 1947;
  7. The sinking of SS Edmund Fitzgerald, an ore carrier, in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10 with the loss of life of all 29 crew members;[5]
  8. Continued fallout from the Michigan PBB contamination incident in which a flame retardant chemical feed was mixed with livestock feed, distributed to Michigan farms, and fed to 1.5 million chickens, 30,000 cattle, 5,900 pigs, and 1,470 sheep;
  9. The Ann Arbor Hospital Murders in which 10 patients at the Veterans Hospital in Ann Arbor died mysteriously from respiratory failure, later resulting in the 1976 trial and conviction of two nurses, Filipina Narciso and Leonora Perez; and
  10. The automobile industry introduces rebates to spur sales.

The AP also selected the state's top sports stories as follows:[6]

  1. Hudson High School setting a national high school record by extending its winning streak to 72 games (before losing to Ishpeming in the Class C championship game);
  2. The trade that sent Mickey Lolich from the Detroit Tigers to the New York Mets for Rusty Staub;
  3. The NCAA investigation into Michigan State Spartans football;
  4. The opening of the Pontiac Silverdome, a domed stadium built at a cost of $55.7 million;
  5. The Detroit Tigers have a 19-game losing streak to set a modern American League record;
  6. The Northern Michigan Wildcats football team won the NCAA Division II Football Championship;
  7. The 1975 Michigan Wolverines football team compiles an 8–1–2 record in the regular season, loses to Ohio State, and goes on to lose to Oklahoma in the 1976 Orange Bowl;
  8. The 1975 Detroit Tigers compile a 57–102 record, the second worst season in club history to that time;
  9. Ten black players from the Michigan State Spartans men's basketball team were suspended after walking out; three white players later transferred;
  10. Michigan high school football begins a playoff system with championships won by Livonia Franklin, Dearborn Divine Child, Ishpeming, and Crystal Falls Forest Park;
  11. The trade of Dave Bing for Kevin Porter;
  12. Mount Pleasant declaring itself the "City of Champions"; and
  13. Marcel Dionne signing with the Los Angeles Kings and the Detroit Red Wings get Terry Harper and Don Maloney as compensation.

Office holders[]

State office holders[]

Gov. Milliken
Sen. Hart
Sen. Griffin

Mayors of major cities[]

Federal office holders[]

  • United States Senator from Michigan: Philip Hart (Democrat)
  • United States Senator from Michigan: Robert P. Griffin (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 1: John Conyers (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 2: Marvin L. Esch (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 3: Garry E. Brown (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 4: J. Edward Hutchinson (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 5: Richard Vander Veen (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 6: Bob Carr (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 7: Donald W. Riegle Jr. (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 8: J. Bob Traxler (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 9: Guy Vander Jagt (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 10: Elford Albin Cederberg (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 11: Philip Ruppe (Republican)
  • United States Representative, District 12: James G. O'Hara (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 13: Charles Diggs (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 14: Lucien N. Nedzi (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 15: William D. Ford (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 16: John Dingell (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 17: William M. Brodhead (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 18: James Blanchard (Democrat)
  • United States Representative, District 19: William Broomfield (Republican)

Population[]

In the 1970 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 8,875,083 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1980, the state's population had grown 4.4% to 9,262,078 persons.

Cities[]

The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 70,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1970
Rank 		City County 1960 Pop. 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. Change 1970-80
1 Detroit Wayne 1,670,144 1,514,063 1,203,368 −20.5% Decrease
2 Grand Rapids Kent 177,313 197,649 181,843 −8.0% Decrease
3 Flint Genesee 196,940 193,317 159,611 −17.4% Decrease
4 Warren Macomb 89,246 179,260 161,134 −10.1% Decrease
5 Lansing Ingham 107,807 131,403 130,414 −0.8% Decrease
6 Livonia Wayne 66,702 110,109 104,814 −4.8% Decrease
7 Dearborn Wayne 112,007 104,199 90,660 −13.0% Decrease
8 Ann Arbor Washtenaw 67,340 100,035 107,969 7.9% Increase
9 Saginaw Saginaw 98,265 91,849 77,508 −15.6% Decrease
10 St. Clair Shores Macomb 76,657 88,093 76,210 −13.5% Decrease
11 Westland Wayne 60,743 86,749 84,603 −2.5% Decrease
12 Royal Oak Oakland 80,612 86,238 70,893 −17.8% Decrease
13 Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 82,089 85,555 79,722 −6.8% Decrease
14 Pontiac Oakland 82,233 85,279 76,715 −10.0% Decrease
15 Dearborn Heights Wayne 61,118 80,069 67,706 −15.4% Decrease
16 Taylor Wayne na 70,020 77,568 10.8% Increase

Counties[]

The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 120,000 based on 1970 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1960 and 1980 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.

1970
Rank 		County Largest city 1960 Pop. 1970 Pop. 1980 Pop. Change 1970-80
1 Wayne Detroit 2,666,297 2,666,751 2,337,891 −12.3% Decrease
2 Oakland Pontiac 690,259 907,871 1,011,793 11.4% Increase
3 Macomb Warren 405,804 625,309 694,600 11.1% Increase
4 Genesee Flint 374,313 444,341 450,449 1.4% Increase
5 Kent Grand Rapids 363,187 411,044 444,506 8.1% Increase
6 Ingham Lansing 211,296 261,039 275,520 5.5% Increase
7 Washtenaw Ann Arbor 172,440 234,103 264,748 13.1% Increase
8 Saginaw Saginaw 190,752 219,743 228,059 3.8% Increase
9 Kalamazoo Kalamazoo 169,712 201,550 212,378 5.4% Increase
10 Berrien Benton Harbor 149,865 163,875 171,276 4.5% Increase
11 Muskegon Muskegon 129,943 157,426 157,589 0.1% Increase
12 Jackson Jackson 131,994 143,274 151,495 5.7% Increase
13 Calhoun Battle Creek 138,858 141,963 141,557 −0.3% Decrease
14 Ottawa Holland 98,719 128,181 157,174 22.6% Increase
15 St. Clair Port Huron 107,201 120,175 138,802 15.5% Increase
16 Monroe Monroe 101,120 118,479 134,659 13.7% Increase
17 Bay Bay City 107,042 117,339 119,881 2.2% Increase

Sports[]

Baseball[]

  • 1975 Detroit Tigers season – Under head coach Ralph Houk, the team compiled a record of 57–102, finished in last place in the American League East, and was outscored by opponents, 786 to 570. The team's batting leaders were Ben Oglivie with a .286 batting average, Willie Horton with 25 home runs and 92 RBIs, and Ron LeFlore with 28 stolen bases. The team's pitching leaders were Mickey Lolich with 12 wins and 139 strikeouts and John Hiller with a 2.17 earned run average.[7]

American football[]

Basketball[]

Ice hockey[]

Other[]

Music[]

Albums and singles by Michigan artists or centered on Michigan topics that were released or became hits in 1975 include the following:

  • "Some Kind of Wonderful", a single by Flint's Grand Funk Railroad, was released in December 1974, reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was ranked as the No. 6 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
  • "One of These Nights, a single co-written by Detroit native Glenn Frey (with Don Henley), was released in May 1975, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked as the No. 10 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
  • "Best of My Love, a single co-written by Detroit natives Glenn Frey and J.D. Souther (with Don Henley), was released in November 1974, reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked as the No. 13 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
  • "Boogie On Reggae Woman", a single from Detroit native Stevie Wonder, was released in November 1974, reached No. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, and was ranked as the No. 26 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
  • "Bad Time", a single by Grand Funk Railroad, was released in March 1975, reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and was ranked as the No. 62 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975.
  • "Only Women Bleed", a single by Detroit native Alice Cooper, was released in April 1975, reached No. 12 on the Billboard R&B chart, and was ranked as the No. 63 song on Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1975. Cooper began his Welcome to My Nightmare tour on March 21 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The elaborate show is among the largest stage spectacles of the decade.
  • Beautiful Loser, the eighth studio album by Bob Seger, was released in April 1975. The album included the songs "Beautiful Loser", "Katmandu", and "Nutbush City Limits".
  • Mahogany, a soundtrack album by Diana Ross, was released in October 1975 and reached No. 20 on the Billboard album chart. The single "Theme from Mahogany (Do You Know Where You're Going To)" reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
  • Ted Nugent, the debut studio album from Ted Nugent, was released in September 1975, reached No. 28 on the Billboard album chart, and was certified double platinum. It included the single "Stranglehold".
  • Caught in the Act, a live album from Grand Funk Railroad, was released in August 1975 and reached No. 21 on the Billboard album chart.
  • A Quiet Storm, an album by Smokey Robinson, was released in March 1975. The single "Baby That's Backatcha" reached No. 1 on the R&B chart.
  • You, a studio album by Aretha Franklin, was released in October 1975 and reached No. 83 on the Billboard album chart.
  • A Song for You, a studio album by The Temptations, was released in January 1975 and reached No. 13 on the Billboard album chart. The album featured two No. 1 R&B hits: "Happy People" and "Shakey Ground"
  • On October 9, rock band Kiss earned publicity by playing the homecoming dance of Cadillac High School in Cadillac, Michigan.
  • On December 31, Elvis Presley performed before the biggest audience of his career, at Pontiac's Silverdome. During the show, Elvis ripped his pants onstage and had to leave to change.

Chronology of events[]

January[]

February[]

March[]

April[]

May[]

June[]

July[]

August[]

September[]

October[]

November[]

December[]

Births[]

Gallery of 1975 births[]

  • Dax Shepard

  • Sufjan Stevens

Deaths[]

Gallery of 1975 deaths[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Hoffa, Swainson top state stories of year". Lansing State Journal. December 26, 1975. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Jimmy Hoffa Is Missing: Mystery Call Leads To Car". Detroit Free Press. August 1, 1975. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Swainson quits supreme court". Lansing State Journal. November 8, 1975. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Bizarre Copter Plot Flops: Con Captured After Daring Jailbreak". Detroit Free Press. June 8, 1975. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ore Carrier Sinks In Lake Storm". The Holland Evening Sentinel. November 11, 1975. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Hudson's streak state's top '75 story". Lansing State Journal. December 28, 1975. p. C1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "1975 Detroit Tigers Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Alumni Association of the University of Michigan (1975). The Michigan Alumnus, Volume 82. p. 33.
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