Carl E. Milliken

Carl Milliken

Carl Elias Milliken (born July 13, 1877 in Pittsfield , Maine , † May 1, 1961 in Springfield , Massachusetts ) was an American politician and Governor of Maine from 1917 to 1921 .

Early years and political advancement

Carl Milliken attended Bates College until 1897 and then studied at Harvard University , where he graduated in 1899. Then he got into the wood business. He also became the head of a local telephone company. Between 1909 and 1912 he was a member of the Maine House of Representatives and between 1912 and 1916 he was a member of the State Senate . Representing the progressive wing of the Republican Party , he was elected Governor of Maine against incumbent Oakley Curtis in 1916 . In these elections, the pre-election system was introduced in Maine, according to which the parties have their candidates determined by the voters in primaries.

Governor of Maine

Milliken took up his new office on January 3, 1917. After re-election in 1918, he was able to remain in office until January 5, 1921. Milliken's tenure was initially overshadowed by the events of World War I , in which the United States had participated since April 1917. The country's industrial production had to be converted to armaments. Young men had to be drafted and drafted into the military. In addition, Maine has its own protection force (Maine Home Guard) set up. After the end of the war in November 1918, industrial production had to be reduced to meet civilian needs, and the returning soldiers had to be reintegrated into society. Domestically, Milliken supported the prohibition movement and advocated the corresponding amendment to the US Constitution, which came into force in 1919.

Another résumé

After the end of his governorship, Carl Milliken withdrew from politics and devoted himself to his private interests. He became involved in the nascent film industry and served on the board of the Motion Picture Association of America for over 20 years until his resignation in 1947. Then he dealt with educational films for school purposes. Carl Milliken died on May 1, 1961. He was married twice and had a total of seven children.

literature

• Robert Sobel and John Raimo (Eds.): Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789–1978. Volume 2, Meckler Books, Westport 1978. 4 volumes.

Web links

• Carl Milliken in the National Governor Association (English)
• The political Graveyard (English)
• Carl E. Milliken in the database of Find a Grave (English)