William Broomfield
Encyclopedia
William S. Broomfield, or Bill Broomfield, (born April 28, 1922) is a retired politician from the U.S. state
of Michigan
.
. He graduated from high school in 1940 and attended Michigan State College (now Michigan State University
) at East Lansing
. During the Second World War, he served in the United States Army Air Corps
. After the war, he engaged in the real-estate and property-management business.
, 1949–1954, serving as speaker pro tempore in 1953. He served in the Michigan State Senate in 1955 and 1956.
In 1956, Broomfield was elected as a Republican from Michigan's 18th District to the United States House of Representatives
for the 85th
and to the seventeen succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1993. Due to redistricting following U.S. Censuses, Broomfield served the 19th District, 1973–1983 and the 18th District, 1983–1993. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1992 to the 103rd Congress
. The 18th District was discontinued following the 1990 census and for the most part redistricted as the 11th
which elected Joe Knollenberg
in 1992.
During his tenure in Congress, Broomfield served as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was ranking member from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. At the time of his retirment, he was the ranking Republican then serving in the House of Representatives.
, spina bifida
(his granddaughter born in 1989 was diagnosed with spina bifida), Alzheimer's, and the Salvation Army
. He is a resident of Lake Orion, Michigan
and currently resides in Kensington, Maryland
.
In September 2000, Congress
designated the Royal Oak Post Office at 200 West 2nd Street in Royal Oak, Michigan
as the William S. Broomfield Post Office Building.
On December 30, 2006, Broomfield collapsed at the state funeral memorial for former U.S. President Gerald Ford
at the United States Capitol
, bringing the ceremonies to a temporary pause. He was first attended to by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
, a physician
and cardiac
surgeon
. The reason given for the collapse was exhaustion. He was later removed to the Capitol's Office of the Attending Physician in a wheelchair for treatment, where a reported team of seven physicians attended to the former Congressman, who had a weak pulse.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
.
Early life
Broomfield was born in Royal Oak, MichiganRoyal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
. He graduated from high school in 1940 and attended Michigan State College (now Michigan State University
Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
) at East Lansing
East Lansing, Michigan
East Lansing is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located directly east of Lansing, Michigan, the state's capital. Most of the city is within Ingham County, though a small portion lies in Clinton County. The population was 48,579 at the time of the 2010 census, an increase from...
. During the Second World War, he served in the United States Army Air Corps
United States Army Air Corps
The United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
. After the war, he engaged in the real-estate and property-management business.
Political career
Broomfield was a member of the Michigan State House of RepresentativesMichigan State House of Representatives
The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2000 federal U.S. Census.Members are elected in...
, 1949–1954, serving as speaker pro tempore in 1953. He served in the Michigan State Senate in 1955 and 1956.
In 1956, Broomfield was elected as a Republican from Michigan's 18th District to the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for the 85th
85th United States Congress
The Eighty-fifth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1959, during the fifth and sixth...
and to the seventeen succeeding Congresses, serving from January 3, 1957 to January 3, 1993. Due to redistricting following U.S. Censuses, Broomfield served the 19th District, 1973–1983 and the 18th District, 1983–1993. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1992 to the 103rd Congress
103rd United States Congress
- House of Representatives :- Leadership :- Senate :* President: Dan Quayle , until January 20, 1993** Al Gore , from January 20, 1993* President pro tempore: Robert Byrd - Majority leadership :* Majority Leader: George Mitchell...
. The 18th District was discontinued following the 1990 census and for the most part redistricted as the 11th
Michigan's 11th congressional district
Michigan's 11th congressional district is a United States Congressional District located just northwest of Detroit, consisting of northwestern Wayne and southwestern Oakland counties...
which elected Joe Knollenberg
Joe Knollenberg
Joseph "Joe" Knollenberg is a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. From 1993 to 2009, he was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing ....
in 1992.
During his tenure in Congress, Broomfield served as a member of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs and was ranking member from 1975 until his retirement in 1992. At the time of his retirment, he was the ranking Republican then serving in the House of Representatives.
Retirement
After retirement, Broomfield started a foundation in Michigan that supports various charities in southeast Michigan, including the efforts to cure cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, spina bifida
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
(his granddaughter born in 1989 was diagnosed with spina bifida), Alzheimer's, and the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
. He is a resident of Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion, Michigan
Lake Orion is a village in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,973 at the 2010 census. "Lake Orion" is often used to describe both the village and the much larger Orion Township, of which the village is a part....
and currently resides in Kensington, Maryland
Kensington, Maryland
Kensington is a town in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,873 at the 2000 census. Greater Kensington encompasses the entire 20895 zip code and its population is an order of magnitude larger than that of the town at its center....
.
In September 2000, Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
designated the Royal Oak Post Office at 200 West 2nd Street in Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak, Michigan
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 57,236. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby....
as the William S. Broomfield Post Office Building.
On December 30, 2006, Broomfield collapsed at the state funeral memorial for former U.S. President Gerald Ford
Death and state funeral of Gerald Ford
On December 26, 2006, Gerald Ford, the 38th President of the United States, died at his home in Rancho Mirage, California, at 6:45 p.m. local time . At 8:49 p.m...
at the United States Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
, bringing the ceremonies to a temporary pause. He was first attended to by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist
Bill Frist
William Harrison "Bill" Frist, Sr. is an American physician, businessman, and politician. He began his career as an heir and major stockholder to the for-profit hospital chain of Hospital Corporation of America. Frist later served two terms as a Republican United States Senator representing...
, a physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and cardiac
Heart
The heart is a myogenic muscular organ found in all animals with a circulatory system , that is responsible for pumping blood throughout the blood vessels by repeated, rhythmic contractions...
surgeon
Surgery
Surgery is an ancient medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental techniques on a patient to investigate and/or treat a pathological condition such as disease or injury, or to help improve bodily function or appearance.An act of performing surgery may be called a surgical...
. The reason given for the collapse was exhaustion. He was later removed to the Capitol's Office of the Attending Physician in a wheelchair for treatment, where a reported team of seven physicians attended to the former Congressman, who had a weak pulse.