Special report - 2003 Michiganians - The Detroit News Online5/12/04

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Wednesday, May 12, 2004

Brandy Baker / The Detroit News

The Detroit News 2003 Michiganians of the Year were honored Tuesday night at Morels Restaurant in Bingham Farms.

The News honors Michiganians
05/12/04

Anthony F. Earley Jr.: The spotlight reflects well on the man with the power
Anthony Earley Jr. doesn't have to imagine what the worst-case scenario for his company would be like. As chairman and chief executive of DTE Energy Co., he lived it last August. 05/09/04

Irma B. Elder: As this major auto dealer races ahead, she finds time to stop and help others
Her diminutive stature notwithstanding, Irma Elder is a giant. 05/09/04

Aretha Franklin: Queen of soul continues to bring respect to her adopted state
Because she lives here, it's easy to get used to having Aretha Franklin as a neighbor. There she is, singing in church or visiting a local nursing home or hospital during the holidays. There she is, onstage at the Music Hall doing her annual Valentine's Day show. 05/09/04

Rep. John D. Dingell: His work aims to please future generations by meeting the challenge of a past generation
A new wildlife refuge stretching 48 miles along the Detroit River owes its existence to the vision -- and passion -- of a congressman's son who grew up to become one of the most powerful politicians in Washington. 05/09/04

G. Richard Wagoner Jr.: GM chief's foresight helps put Detroit's goals into high gear
'Come on over here," General Motors Corp. Chairman and CEO G. Richard "Rick" Wagoner said as he bolted from a conference table in his expansive office and walked over to a window looking out at the Detroit riverfront from 39 stories up. 05/09/04

Mary Sue Coleman and Lee C. Bollinger: They championed the importance of diversity by defending the need for affirmative action
They come from very different perspectives. 05/09/04

Bill Laimbeer: His dedication to women's sports sparks a team's shocking turnaround
Bill Laimbeer went into coaching women's basketball with the same intensity as he did as the perceived villain on the Pistons' back-to-back NBA championship teams. 05/09/04

Dr. Susan Hendrix: She is helping change the way menopausal women are treated
For 60 years, doctors prescribed hormones for women dealing with the symptoms of menopause. 05/09/04

Aaron P. Dworkin: Minority musicians hear applause across America, thanks to his notable efforts
Aaron P. Dworkin remembers the concert nights at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor. What a thrill for the young violinist, a student at the University of Michigan, to hear the great artists who appeared there. It should have been pure inspiration. But something was wrong with the picture. 05/09/04

Dr. Herbert C. Smitherman Jr.: Sick, poor and think no one cares? Here's the man who does
Dr. Herbert C. Smitherman Jr. vividly remembers the pretty face of an 18-year-old woman whose throat had been slit by her boyfriend. 05/09/04

James Haveman: He is helping resuscitate Iraq's near-dead national health system
By most accounts, the U.S. government got a bargain when it hired Michigan's former health chief to help rebuild Iraq last June. 05/09/04

The Rev. Faith Fowler: When the road seems to lead nowhere, she provides help for those in need
Quitter is the last word anyone would use to describe the Rev. Faith Fowler. But after five months, the newly named senior pastor of Cass Community United Methodist Church and executive director of Cass Community Social Services was ready to throw in the towel. 05/09/04

Past Michiganians
Every year since 1978, readers of The Detroit News have participated in nominating our Michiganians of the Year, a selection of outstanding citizens who have helped make living in this state a richer experience for the rest of us, either by their good works or by the example they set. The 13 award winners chosen by the editors of The News and profiled in this section are in good company. 05/09/04

Commemorative Report

Enriching and elevating the community is what the 2003 Michiganians of the Year do to enhances our lives.

They are a world-class singer who is an ambassador for the state; a violinist who created opportunities for minority musicians; doctors who look out for the disadvantaged and advance the cause of women's health; a former Piston who is now an advocate for women's sports; two educators who are champions for affirmative action; and a Mexican immigrant who became one of Metro Detroit's most powerful businesswomen.

This 26th annual group of Michiganians also includes a utility executive who remained cool during a hot summer blackout; a U.S. representative who has fought hard for generations of Michiganians; an automotive leader whose savvy has helped revive an industrial giant; a minister who is offering hope to the city's homeless; and a state health official who's won plaudits for overhauling Iraq's war-ravaged health system.

Difficulties have been turned into opportunities by this year's crop of Michiganians, who serve as role models in today's turbulent world.

Special Reports Archive

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