Murray Van Wagoner

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Murray Delos Van Wagoner (March 18, 1898June 12, 1986) was an American politician. He served as a Democratic governor of Michigan from 1941 to 1942.

Van Wagoner was born in Kingston, Michigan. He was a civil engineer and served as Michigan state highway commissioner from 1933-1940. He was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in 1936, 1940, 1944 and 1952.

In 1940 he defeated the incumbent Republican Governor of Michigan Luren Dickenson by 131,281 votes to become Michigan's 38th governor. During his term he encouraged the construction of road projects and most famously the Mackinac Bridge.

Today the Michigan Department of Transportation building in Lansing is named after him, The Murray Van Wagoner Transportation Building. He died in 1986 in Farmington Hills, Michigan, aged 88.

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Preceded by
Luren Dickenson
Governor of Michigan
19411943
Succeeded by
Harry Kelly