Governor Albert Edson Sleeper

ALBERT E. SLEEPER, the twenty-ninth governor of Michigan, was born in Bradford, Vermont on December 31, 1862. His education was attained at the Bradford Academy. In 1884, he moved to Lexington, Michigan, where he worked in the real estate, banking, and mercantile industries. Sleeper entered politics in 1901, serving as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, a position he held until 1902. He also was a member of the Republican State Committee from 1905 to 1907, and served as the state treasurer of Michigan from 1909 to 1913. Sleeper next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 7, 1916. He was reelected to a second term in 1918. During his tenure, World War I had started and measures were taken to supply men, provisions, and arms for the war effort. Also, a department of animal husbandry was established, as well as a department of labor; a public utilities commission was formed; a county road system was advanced; a state police department was founded; and an epidemic of the Spanish influenza was dealt with. After completing his term, Sleeper left office on January 1, 1921. He continued to stay politically active, serving as a 1928 presidential elector for Michigan. Governor Albert E. Sleeper passed away on May 13, 1934.