“He was a crook, but he was no dummy.”
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George W. Romney
George Wilcken Romney was an American businessman and politician. A member of the Republican Party, he served as chairman and president of American Motors Corporation from 1954 to 1962, the 43rd governor of Michigan from 1963 to 1969, and 3rd secretary of housing and urban development from 1969 to 1973. He was the father of Mitt Romney, who served as United States senator from Utah and as governor…
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business · American businessman and politician (1907–1995) · lobbyist · businessperson · politician · missionary · governor · also George W. Romney, George Romney, George Wilcken Romney, Romney
Born 8 July 1907 · Died 26 July 1995 · Q520275
63 published statements · 0 followers
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2026· 4 entries
“We gotta move, man, we gotta move.”
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“suicidal destruction of the Republican Party”
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Public attention spiked: 4,573 Wikipedia readers in one day, 11.7× the usual 392, with 0 article edits.
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2025· 2 entries
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by Joe Biden (2025).
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President Joe Biden posthumously honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which his son, Mitt Romney, accepted on his behalf
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2010· 1 entry
Adrian College in Michigan announced the opening of its George Romney Institute for Law and Public Policy
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1998· 1 entry
With a grant from Romney's immediate family, the George W
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1997· 1 entry
Manifesting Romney's last volunteerism proposal, with the organization America's Promise coming out of it
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1995· 2 entries
Died 1995-07-26.
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Romney died of a heart attack at the age of 88 while he was doing his morning exercising on a treadmill at his home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; he was discovered by his wife, Lenore, but it was too late to save him
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1993· 1 entry
Inspired the first national meeting of volunteer centers
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1987· 2 entries
Went to George Romney himself
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Held a four-generation extended family reunion in Washington, where he showed the places and recounted the events of his life which had occurred there
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1984· 1 entry
And to the National Volunteer Center in 1990
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1979· 2 entries
This organization merged with the Colorado-based National Information Center on Volunteerism and became known as VOLUNTEER: The National Center for Citizen Involvement; Romney headed the new organization
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That it was intended to support "perverted and improper sexual conduct
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1973· 1 entry
After he left the cabinet, Romney became chair and CEO of the National Center for Voluntary Action
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1972· 1 entry
As part of the initial wave of departures from Nixon's first-term cabinet
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1969· 2 entries
The day of Nixon's inauguration, and was sworn into office on January 22, with Nixon at his side
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Career landmark: United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (1969–1973).
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1968· 5 entries
Election lost: 1968 presidential election.
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Romney said it was "a great national tragedy at a time when we need aggressive nonviolent leadership to peacefully achieve equal rights, equal opportunities and equal responsibilities for all
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“a great national tragedy at a time when we need aggressive nonviolent leadership to peacefully achieve equal rights, equal opportunities and equal responsibilities for all. This is indeed a cause for general mourning and rededicated effort by everyone to eliminate racial prejudice in all of its ugly and repressive forms.”
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“Your mother and I are not personally distressed. As a matter of fact, we are relieved. ... I aspired, and though I achieved not, I am satisfied.”
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Campaign: 1968 presidential election.
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1967· 3 entries
At Detroit's Veterans Memorial Building, that he had "decided to fight for and win the Republican nomination and election to the Presidency of the United States"
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In a taped interview with locally influential (and nationally syndicated) talk show host Lou Gordon of WKBD-TV in Detroit, Romney stated: "When I came back from Viet Nam [in November 1965], I'd just had the greatest brai
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“s Veterans Memorial Building, that he had”
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1966· 1 entry
Romney had his biggest electoral success, winning re-election again by some 527,000 votes over Democratic lawyer Zolton Ferency (this time to a four-year term, after a change in Michigan law)
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1965· 3 entries
Romney visited South Vietnam for 31 days and said that he was continuing his strong support for U
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Marched at the front of a Detroit parade in solidarity with the marchers
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“When I came back from Viet Nam [in November 1965], I”
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1964· 2 entries
And 1966, he worked to overhaul the state's financial and revenue structure, greatly expanding the size of state government and introducing Michigan's first state income tax
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By a margin of over 380,000 votes over Democratic Congressman Neil Staebler, despite Goldwater's landslide defeat to President Lyndon B
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1963· 3 entries
Career landmark: Governor of Michigan (1963–1969).
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That, "The one fellow I don't want to run against is Romney
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Proposed a comprehensive tax revision package that included a flat-rate state income tax, but general economic prosperity alleviated pressure on the state budget and the Michigan Legislature rejected the measure
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1961· 1 entry
By participating in a state constitutional convention to rewrite the Michigan Constitution, Romney was elected Governor of Michigan in 1962
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1959· 3 entries
When he was a key force in the petition drive calling for a constitutional convention to rewrite the Michigan Constitution
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Received the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith's Americanism award
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A nonpartisan group that sought to study Detroit's problems and build an informed electorate
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1958· 1 entry
Was the only car company to show increased sales during the recession of 1958, and moved from thirteenth to seventh place among worldwide auto manufacturers
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1957· 1 entry
Romney was able to fend him off
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1956· 2 entries
Romney headed a citizen-based committee for improved educational programs in Detroit's public schools
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More in 1957, and experiencing defections from its dealer network
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1954· 1 entry
It merged with Hudson Motor Car to become the American Motors Corporation (AMC)
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1948· 2 entries
Invited Romney along "to learn the business from the ground up" as his roving assistant, and the new executive spent a year working in different parts of the company
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And became the chief executive of its successor, American Motors, in 1954
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1944· 2 entries
And 1947, and managing director of the National Automobile Golden Jubilee Committee in 1946
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Headed the Detroit church branch (which initially was small enough to meet in a member's house)
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1942· 1 entry
Was promoted to general manager of the association, a position he held until 1948
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1940· 1 entry
As World War II raged overseas, Romney helped start the Automotive Committee for Air Defense, which coordinated planning between the automobile and aircraft industries
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1939· 1 entry
Moved to Detroit and joined the American Automobile Manufacturers Association, where he served as the chief spokesman for the automobile industry during World War II and headed a cooperative arrangement in which compa
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1921· 1 entry
And while his father resumed construction work, George became skilled at lath-and-plaster work
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1917· 1 entry
Moved to Rexburg, Idaho, where Gaskell became a successful home and commercial builder in a growing area due to high World War I commodities prices
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1916· 1 entry
Where Gaskell Romney resumed construction work, but the family remained generally poor
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1913· 1 entry
The family moved to Oakley, Idaho, and bought a farm, where they grew and subsisted largely on Idaho potatoes
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1912· 1 entry
“We were the first displaced persons of the 20th century.”
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1910· 1 entry
And the church's colonies were endangered in 1911–1912 by raids from marauders, including "Red Flaggers" Pascual Orozco and José Inés Salazar
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1907· 1 entry
Born 1907-07-08.
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1897· 1 entry
(polygamy having been abolished by the 1890 Manifesto, although it persisted in places, especially Mexico), who fled the United States to Mexico with their children due to the federal government's prosecution of polygamy
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1895· 1 entry
In Mexico and lived in Colonia Dublán in Nuevo Casas Grandes in the state of Chihuahua (one of the church colonies in Mexico), where George was born on July 8, 1907
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