Events from the year 1922 in Michigan.
Major events occurring during 1922 in Michigan included: a multi-day debate in the U.S. Senate over the seating of Michigan Senator Truman Newberry who stood accused of misconduct undermining his election to the Senate; the re-election of Alex J. Groesbeck as Governor of Michigan; the election of Woodbridge N. Ferris, the first Democrat to represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate in 70 years; the resignation of Sen. Newberry in November 1922 and his replacement with Detroit Mayor James J. Couzens; the 1922 Michigan Wolverines football team, led by All-Americans Harry Kipke, Bernard Kirk, and Paul G. Goebel, going through the season undefeated; and the December 1922 death of Michigan star Bernard Kirk due to injuries sustained in an automobile crash.
At the end of the year, the Detroit Free Press published a list of the principal events occurring in that city during 1922. The principal events included: laying of the cornerstone on the Detroit Masonic Temple; opening of the new Temple Beth El; the opening of the Capitol Theater (later renamed the Detroit Opera House); voters approval of the city's purchase of the Detroit United Railway; the Dodge Brothers' gift of 11 new parks to the state; the opening of bank offices at the First National Bank building; announcement of plans to construct a new Roman Catholic cathedral; the Detroit Tigers' third-place finish in the American League; the final run of the Detroit Fire Department's fire horses on April 10; the victory of Jesse G. Vincent's Packard Chris-Craft in the annual Gold Cup motorboat race; and the launching of the USS Detroit.
Office holders
State office holders Governor of Michigan: Alex J. Groesbeck (Republican) Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Thomas Read (Republican) Michigan Attorney General: Merlin Wiley (Republican) Michigan Secretary of State: Charles J. DeLand (Republican) Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives: Fred L. Warner (Republican) Chief Justice, Michigan Supreme Court: Grant Fellows
Mayors of major cities
Mayor of Detroit: James J. Couzens/John C. Lodge Mayor of Grand Rapids: John McNabb Mayor of Flint: William H. McKeighan Mayor of Lansing: Silas F. Main Mayor of Saginaw: Ben N. Mercer Mayor of Ann Arbor: George E. Lewis
Federal office holders
U.S. Senator from Michigan: Truman Handy Newberry (Republican)/ James J. Couzens U.S. Senator from Michigan: Charles E. Townsend (Republican) House District 1: George P. Codd (Republican) House District 2: Earl C. Michener (Republican) House District 3: John M. C. Smith (Republican) House District 4: John C. Ketcham (Republican) House District 5: Carl E. Mapes (Republican) House District 6: Patrick H. Kelley (Republican) House District 7: Louis C. Cramton (Republican) House District 8: Joseph W. Fordney (Republican) House District 9: James C. McLaughlin (Republican) House District 10: Roy O. Woodruff (Republican) House District 11: Frank D. Scott (Republican) House District 12: W. Frank James (Republican) House District 13: Vincent M. Brennan (Republican)
Population
Sports
Baseball 1922 Detroit Tigers season – Under player-manager Ty Cobb, the Tigers compiled a 79–75 record and finished third in the American League. The team's statistical leaders included Cobb with a .401 batting average, Harry Heilmann with 21 home runs, Bobby Veach with 126 RBIs, and Lu Blue with 131 runs scored. Herman Pillette led the pitching staff with a 19–12 record and 2.85 earned run average. 1922 Michigan Wolverines baseball season – The Wolverines compiled a 21–6 record.
American football 1922 Michigan Wolverines football team – In their 22nd season under head coach Fielding H. Yost, the Wolverines compiled a 6–0–1 record, outscored opponents 183–13, and tied with Iowa for the Big Ten championship. 1922 Western State Hilltoppers football team – Under first-year head coach Milton Olander, the Hilltoppers compiled a perfect 6–0 record, shut out every opponent, and outscored opponents by a total of 160 to 0. 1922 Michigan Agricultural Aggies football team – Under head coach Albert Barron, the Aggies compiled a 3–5–2 record and were outscored by opponents, 135 to 111. 1922 Michigan State Normal Normalites football team – Under head coach Joseph McCulloch, the Normalites compiled a record of 3–2–2 and outscored opponents by a total of 31 to 28. 1922 Detroit Titans football team – Under head coach James F. Duffy, the Titans compiled a 7–2–1 record and outscored opponents by a total of 116 to 54. 1922 Central Michigan Normalites football team – Under head coach Wallace Parker, Central Michigan compiled a 6–0–2 record, shut out six of eight opponents, and outscored all opponents, 179 to 11.
Basketball 1921–22 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team – Under head coach E. J. Mather, the Wolverines compiled a 15–4 record and finished second in the Big Ten Conference.
Chronology of events January
January 6–12 - Members of the U.S. Senate debated for a week over the seating of Michigan Senator Truman Newberry. Newberry was charged with misconduct undermining the integrity of his 1918 election victory over Henry Ford. See Newberry v. United States. The proceedings included a speech by Newberry emotionally denying all wrongdoing and cross-examination of Newberry by Democratic Senators. On January 12, the Senate voted narrowly (46 to 41) to seat Newberry. January 7 - The 1922 lineup of automobiles, consisting of 400 models from 42 makers, went on display at the 22nd annual national automobile show in New York City. Prices of the new models ranged from $525 to $11,000. January 9 - Wayne County approved the expenditure of $3 million to lay 50 miles of concrete highway and to replace bridges. January 12 - Detroit's Capitol Theater, a movie palace on Broadway at Grand Circus Park, opened. A crowd of 4,500 attended on opening night. The film was accompanied by an orchestra of 35 musicians conducted by Eduard Werner. The theater was later renamed the Detroit Opera House. January 19 - A spokesman for the Dodge estate confirmed that Mrs. Horace Dodge was the owner of a pearl necklace that had belonged to Catherine the Great. The necklace was purchased by Horace Dodge for $825,000 shortly before his death in 1920.
January 21 - The Detroit automobile show opened with the display of 300 new automobiles.
February
February 1 - Congressman Vincent M. Brennan of Detroit presented a proposal to the House Ways and Means Committee to legalize beer and light wines. Brennan announced three months later that he would not seek reelection.
February 4 - Henry Ford purchased the bankrupt Lincoln Motor Company for $8 million and announced that it would immediately reopen the plant. The plant reopened two days later and received $1 million in orders, reflecting confidence in the company's new management. Days later, a public dispute arose between Ford and Lincoln's receiver as to whether Ford had purchased only the physical plant or had also acquired the patents, copyright, trademark, and negotiable papers.
February 15 - William C. Durant announced that his new company, Durant Motors, would be releasing a four-cylinder, five-passenger car at a price of $348.
February 24 - Detroit police raided the Plaza Theater at 11631 E Jefferson Ave to stop the display of an "indecent" film to 1,500 men attending the showing arranged by a fraternal organization.
February 27 - The Graystone Ballroom opened in Detroit at 4245 Woodward Avenue. A fire broke out at the ballroom on May 11 when an overcharge of flash powder from a photographer's camera set decorations on fire. The fire caused a panic to the 1,400 persons in attendance, including Governor Groesbeck.
March
March-April 1933 - John Duval Dodge, 24-year-old son of automobile manufacturing pioneer John Francis Dodge, faced charges in Detroit and Kalamazoo of speeding, driving while intoxicated, and transporting and distributing liquor. He was found guilty on speeding and liquor charges but acquitted of driving while intoxicated. He also faced a civil suit for running over a child with his automobile. Dodge's legal proceedings remained on the front page of the state's newspapers for much of the months of March and April.
March 9 - Unpersuaded by pleas from Detroit's jazz devotees and bobbed-hair flappers girls, Mayor James J. Couzens ordered the revocation of the Crystal Palace dance hall on grounds that it was a rendezvous site for improper women and that improper dancing was permitted. The mayor also ordered police "to increase its vigilance at certain other dance halls, where the more jazzy steps are permitted." The following week, the Crystal Palace secured an injunction in court prohibiting molestation with the business.
March 10 - After weeks of contentions negotiations, the Detroit United Railway agreed to sell its Detroit operations (including more than 300 miles of tracks and 1,157 cars) to the city for $19.85 million. A special election was set for April 17 to have the voters approve the transaction.
March 11 - The 24-story, 300-foot-high First National Bank Building opened in Detroit. The Detroit Free Press called it a "lofty monument to faith in city."
March 24 - The Ford company announced that it had adopted a 40-hour, five-day work week with pay remaining at $6 minimum per day ($5 for new workers). The company also stated that it would hire 3,000 new workers to meet demand in light of the reduced work week. Henry Ford explained the decision as follows: "Every man need more than one day a week for rest and recreation. The Ford company always has sought to promote ideal home life for its employees. We believe that in order to live properly every man should have more time to spend with his family, more time for self-improvement, more time for gardening, more time for building up the place we call home."
March 25 - Four Boy Scouts, a scoutmaster, and three others drowned while trying out a new 14-foot steel boat in high winds at Magician's Lake near Dowagiac, Michigan.
March 26 - The ferry, Omar D. Conger, sank in the Black River at Port Huron after an explosion. Four persons were killed and several persons maimed or injured.
March 29 - A report from the Federal Reserve Board showed that Detroit's economic output was growing at a faster rate than any other city. The report showed the output of passenger cars up 32.1% from 81,474 in January to 107,626 in February. Output of trucks was up 40.9% from 8,832 to 12,444.
April April 1 - The Michigan Hall of Fame was opened at the Detroit Public Library. The first 10 persons inducted were James V. Campbell, Zachariah Chandler, Thomas M. Cooley, David Farrand, Douglass Houghton, James Frederick Joy, Henry Ledyard, William Frederick Poole, James McMillan, and Nancy Martin.
April 3 - Peter Jezewski, a druggist and leader in the Polish community, was elected as the first mayor of the newly-formed city of Hamtramck, Michigan. Due to concerns about potential improprieties, the election was overseen by 20 state troopers and 75 sheriff deputies. Hamtramck had grown from a population of 3,559 persons in the 1910 Census to 48,615 persons in the 1920 Census. Two months later, Jezewski was sued for allegedly having an affair with Mrs. Joseph Wojcik while her husband was at work.
April 5 - A report from the United States Employment Service showed that Detroit led all American cities in adding 11,439 jobs in the month of March.
April 8 - Edward Fox, chief of detectives at the Detroit Police Department, was shot in the chest in the presence of his wife and child as four gunmen held up a Detroit meat market. The four alleged assailants were named two weeks later.
April 10 - The town of Tower in northern Michigan experienced major damage and one death due to flooding of the Lost River. Flood waters also swept through Cheboygan in the following days.