Representative Raymond Francis Clevenger

Raymond Francis Clevenger (June 6, 1926 – March 29, 2016) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from the state of Michigan between 1965 and 1967. He was born in Chicago, Illinois, and attended public schools in nearby Oak Park, graduating from high school in 1944. Coming of age during World War II, he entered military service immediately after graduation.

From July 1944 to July 1946, Clevenger served in the United States Army Medical Corps. Following his discharge, he resumed his education under the opportunities afforded to many veterans of his generation. He attended Roosevelt University in Chicago, where he became active in student government and was elected student council president, serving alongside future Chicago mayor Harold Washington, who was then student council vice president. Clevenger also pursued studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science, broadening his exposure to economics and public affairs. He received his degree from Roosevelt University in 1949 and went on to study law at the University of Michigan Law School, from which he graduated in 1952.

After completing his legal education, Clevenger began the practice of law in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, in 1953. He developed a broad legal practice, working not only in Michigan but also in Illinois and before the United States federal courts. His early legal career was closely intertwined with growing involvement in Democratic Party politics. He served as a delegate to Democratic State Conventions from 1954 to 1964 and was a delegate to the 1956 Democratic National Convention. From 1958 to 1960, he held the position of Chippewa County Circuit Court Commissioner, and during the same period he was a member of the Democratic State Central Committee. His expertise in regulatory and corporate matters led to his appointment as Michigan Corporation and Securities Commissioner, a post he held from 1961 to 1963.

Clevenger’s statewide and party service laid the groundwork for his election to Congress. In the 1964 election, running as a Democrat from Michigan’s 11th congressional district, he defeated incumbent Republican Victor A. Knox. He was elected to the Eighty-ninth Congress and served from January 3, 1965, to January 3, 1967. His tenure in the House of Representatives coincided with a significant period in American history marked by the Great Society legislative program and escalating involvement in the Vietnam War. As a member of the House, Raymond Francis Clevenger participated in the democratic process, contributed to the legislative work of the Eighty-ninth Congress, and represented the interests of his northern Michigan constituents. He was known as one of the “Michigan Five Fluke Freshmen,” a group of Democrats who won traditionally Republican seats in the 1964 landslide.

Clevenger’s service in Congress lasted for one term in office. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1966, losing to Republican Philip Ruppe, and he again challenged Ruppe in 1968, but was defeated a second time. Despite these losses, his congressional service reflected the broader political realignments of the mid-1960s and the temporary Democratic surge that accompanied President Lyndon B. Johnson’s election.

After leaving Congress, Clevenger continued in public service at the regional level. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson as chairman of the Great Lakes Basin Commission, serving from 1967 to 1968. In that role he was involved in planning and coordination efforts concerning water resources and environmental and economic issues affecting the Great Lakes region. Following his tenure on the commission, he resumed the practice of law, maintaining his professional engagement in Michigan and remaining active in civic and political affairs.

In later years, Clevenger settled in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he continued his legal work and community involvement. He sought local office in 1989, running for Mayor of Ann Arbor as the Democratic candidate, but was defeated by the Republican incumbent, Gerald D. Jernigan. Raymond Francis Clevenger resided in Ann Arbor for the remainder of his life and died there on March 29, 2016, at the age of 89.