Frank J. Kelley has died at age 96.
Kelley was affectionately called the “eternal general” for his 37 years as Michigan’s longest-serving attorney general. Kelley, a Democrat, served from 1961 to 1999, winning statewide election 10 times.
He moved to Naples, Florida, in 2020 and died Friday night. Kelley was state government’s top lawyer at a time of sweeping change in politics and culture.
He was credited with creating consumer and environmental protection divisions in the attorney general’s office and was a defender of civil rights. Kelley, a Detroit native, was a lawyer in Alpena, a small town in northern Michigan, when Gov. John Swainson appointed him attorney general in 1961.
Related video:
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
