LANSING -- Keweenaw Now learned of the passing of former US Senator Carl Levin, who served Michigan for 36 years in the Senate, through email statements we received Friday from Michigan leaders -- Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, Attorney General Dana Nessel, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and US Rep. Andy Levin.
Their messages attest to Senator Levin's long career of public service, his accomplishments and his integrity. During some of Senator Levin's frequent visits to the Keweenaw, we had the honor to meet the Senator, to interview him and to film some of his very down-to-earth, friendly speeches. We have memories of Carl Levin as not just a politician from Detroit, but a man who cared about the Great Lakes, conservation of our beautiful natural resources, and historical preservation. Here are some of our memories from Keweenaw Now's archives:
At 2014 Bete Grise Celebration ...
At Grand Opening of the Calumet Visitor Center (Union Building) on Oct. 27, 2011...
Senator Levin speaks about the importance of preserving our local history through the Keweenaw National Historical Park. (Video by Allan Baker for Keweenaw Now)**
Senator Levin was instrumental in securing federal funding for the restoration of the Union Building, which now, as the Calumet Visitor Center, houses exhibits that tell the story of Calumet's mining history and of the immigrants from many countries who came here to work in the mines.**
At Small Business Roundtable Meeting on Aug. 20, 2010...
Since the press was not allowed at the Small Business Roundtable Meeting but only given the final 15 minutes to interview Sen. Levin, Keweenaw Now asked him about two issues -- Afghanistan and Kennecott-Rio Tinto's sulfide mine, now the Eagle Mine near Big Bay, Mich.***
At Democratic breakfast, 2009 ...
Michigan leaders remember Senator Carl Levin
Governor Gretchen Whitmer: "Senator Carl Levin was a champion for Michigan. His 36 year tenure in the United States Senate, the longest in state history, was marked by a tireless commitment to our auto industry, Great Lakes, and men and women in uniform. Carl paved the way for a safer planet, helped pass several nuclear weapons and missile treaties, and spoke out courageously against entering the war in Iraq. He made Michigan a safer and better place for our families, securing funds to create the Detroit Riverwalk and writing the bill that established Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park. Carl would often wear his glasses on the tip of his nose, but he saw the best in us. He saw what we were capable of when we came to the table as Michiganders, as Americans, to get things done. Carl devoted his life to public service, and it us up to us to follow his example. My thoughts are with his family, many of whom are lifelong public servants, including his brother, former Congressman Sander Levin, and his nephew, Congressman Andy Levin. Carl, we miss you."
Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist: "Senator Levin was a giant whose power and dedication was felt throughout our state. Michiganders trusted Senator Levin to get the job done, which is why they continued to send him back to Washington, D.C., as our state’s longest-serving senator. And throughout all of those years, Senator Levin never backed down from putting Michigan families first. There’s not a single Michigander who hasn’t benefited from the policies and programs that Senator Levin helped to usher through Congress. His presence will be greatly missed by the untold lives that he touched, especially the young leaders like me who he continually encouraged and supported. My heart is with his family and all of the Michiganders across the state who are mourning this tremendous loss. Senator Levin set the path for all of us to continue his great work."
Attorney General Dana Nessel: "The world lost a giant today, and I lost a personal hero. Senator Levin’s decades-long dedication to representing the people of Michigan set a bar few elected officials will ever meet. His no-nonsense, brutally honest approach to politics is what gained him respect across the aisle. I greatly admired his unwavering commitment to doing what was right -- even if it wasn’t easy -- and his passionate approach to understanding every single issue he voted on. We all could learn a great deal from his service. My thoughts are with his loved ones. There will never be another Carl Levin."
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson: "A light has gone out today in Michigan that can never be replaced. I have no words to express what Senator Carl Levin and his lifetime of dedication to our city, state and country meant to me and so many of us who seek to serve and lead during these uniquely divided times.
"My best days as Dean at Wayne State University Law School were when I got to work with and learn from him, whether it was co-teaching a class on legislation and leadership or launching the Levin Center, or simply sitting in his office asking him for advice and hearing stories from his life of service.
"When I told him I wanted to run for Michigan Secretary of State he was unhesitatingly all-in: hosting events, calling supporters, nominating me at the Michigan Democratic Party Convention. He was a constant source of wisdom and support, always encouraging me to lead courageously and always having my back.
"In our last conversation I thanked him for writing his memoirs at a time when we all desperately need to learn more of how he served 36 years in the U.S. Senate and a lifetime in politics while remaining steadfastly humble, loyal, devoted, and kind. His commitment to service was everything we need from our leaders but so rarely get. I will miss our lunches, talks, and I'll keep working every day to be more like him. If we all do that, we can honor his years of devotion to Michigan, to Detroit, and to our country."
US Rep. Andy Levin, nephew of Carl Levin and son and successor of US Rep. Sander Levin: "Today, my uncle, Senator Carl Levin, passed away.
"Throughout my adult life, wherever I went in Michigan, from Copper Harbor to Monroe, I would run into people who would say, ‘I don’t always agree with Senator Levin, but I support him anyway because he is so genuine, he tells it straight and he follows through.’
"Carl Levin personified integrity and the notion of putting the public good above self-interest. As he walked about the Capitol in a rumpled suit, almost always with a plain white shirt and pedestrian tie, carrying bulging files with the occasional paper flying away, Carl was the very picture of sober purpose and rectitude. In truth, he wasn’t unfun. In fact, he often pierced tense situations with self-deprecating humor, and he privately shared incisive observations about others with staff and colleagues.
"But Carl was all about the work, and the great honor the people of Michigan had bestowed upon him with their votes and their trust. He did not seek to divine their views to be popular, but rather to study the issues and advance the people’s interest to the best of his ability. Uncle Carl met with more presidents, kings, queens and other important people than all but a few of us ever will. But he treated them all the same as he did a Detroit autoworker or a beet farmer in Michigan’s Thumb -- with a full measure of dignity but no airs, ever ready to puncture self-importance, posturing, mendacity and avarice.
"He was so well-prepared for every meeting, hearing, and conference that he challenged conventional boundaries between senator and staff. He was one of the most challenging senators to work for and one of the most rewarding. Challenging, because you had better know your business in detail, since he surely did. Rewarding, because he had authentic relationships with staff, treated them with deep respect, and was loyal to them.
"Uncle Carl was above all a family man. No matter the pressing business he faced as a senator, he always centered Aunt Barbara, my cousins Kate, Laura and Erica and their families, devoted time to them and so obviously cherished them. And the way he loved and treated his family radiated out and served as a model for how he treated colleagues, staff, constituents, soldiers and the world.
"From my earliest memory to this moment, perhaps above all, he has defined with my dad how close two brothers, two siblings, two people can be. In the end, these two Jewish boys from Detroit, these grandsons of immigrants, each served 36 years in Congress, 32 of them together, becoming by far the longest co-serving siblings in the 232-year history of this place. As heartbroken as we are in this moment, I feel so grateful to have experienced this love and legacy."
Notes:
* See "Sen. Levin joins supporters, visitors at Bete Grise 10-year celebration."
** See "Photos, videos: Grand Opening of Calumet Visitor Center (Union Building)."
*** See "Sen. Levin speaks at Small Business Roundtable in Houghton."
**** See "Photos: Local Dems, supporters greet Sen. Carl Levin at Houghton breakfast."
