Milliken Stories: Our Personal and Professional Recollections

Abstract:We are in a unique position to write these stories: Jim had a personal and professional relationship with Governor William Milliken (who served from 1969-1983) at the start of educational reform, and Doug had a personal and professional relationship with both Governor Milliken and Governor John Engler (1991-2003). Over nearly two decades, we were participants in some of the major events in education and taxation. Moreover, we are the best of friends. We worked with Governor Milliken. While he was our boss, he never treated us that way; he treated us with great respect—as if we were colleagues, not subordinates. He had strong convictions regarding education and dedicated himself to make a difference. That is where we came in, and each of us had specific roles to play. These are our personal insights into what happened: a recounting of Milliken's strength of character and how he fulfilled his commitment.