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Person

Gerhard Mennen “Soapy” Williams

Also Gov. G. Mennen Williams · G. Mennen Williams · G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams · Soapy Williams

Draft — sources verified, prose evolving

TypePerson
Born1911-02-23
Died1988-02-02
ErasModern era
On this page
Person
Born
1911-02-23
Died
1988-02-02
Work
Governor of Michigan
Eras
Modern era
Concepts
conservationgovernancecommunityheritage

Summary

Gerhard Mennen “Soapy” Williams (1911–1988), Michigan’s forty-first governor, is identified in a November 1951 report as the planned presenter of the National Conservation Award to the Beaver Island Game Club at the island’s annual Hunters Ball.12

Evidence and limits

The local source supplies the governor’s name, office, and planned ceremony role. The National Governors Association gives the exact birth and death dates, and the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library independently confirms the full name and birth date. The local report does not confirm that the planned visit or presentation occurred.

Open questions

  • Did Williams attend and present the award on November 17?
  • Are gubernatorial or conservation-department records available?

See also

Footnotes

  1. Charlevoix County Herald, November 9, 1951, “Beaver Island To Be Honored.” ↩

  2. National Governors Association, “Gov. Gerhard Mennen Williams.” ↩

Sources

  1. Charlevoix County Herald, November 9, 1951, “Beaver Island To Be Honored.”
    Identifies Gov. G. Mennen Williams as the planned presenter of the National Conservation Award to the Beaver Island Game Club on November 17. No public copy of this file is known; the archive holds one and can provide it on request.
    charlevoix · Charlevoix_County_Herald_1951-11-09
  2. Official governors association biography gives his February 23, 1911 birth and February 2, 1988 death, identifies him as Michigan’s forty-first governor, and supplies the full name Gerhard Mennen Williams.
  3. Institutional archival finding aid independently identifies Williams, born in Detroit on February 23, 1911, and documents his Michigan public-service career.

Added 1 August 2026 · revised 2 August 2026. Recent changes

Cite this article

Beaver Island Archive, “Gerhard Mennen “Soapy” Williams”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/people/gerhard-mennen-soapy-williams/, accessed [date], citing Charlevoix County Herald, November 9, 1951, “Beaver Island To Be Honored.” (and 2 further sources listed on the page).

Last revised 2026-08-02. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.

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