Cheboygan’s most famous citizen was George Magellin Humphrey. He was born on March 8, 1890 to Caroline [Magellin] and Watts Sherman Humphrey. He grew up in Cheboygan. George graduated from Cheboygan Schools and the University of Michigan.
Later he would earn his law degree. He practiced law for five years in his father’s firm, which was located in Saginaw, Michigan.
He then became counselor for the M. A. Hannah Company in 1917. He held this position for 35 years. He became the president of that company in 1929. He next served as chairman of the business council for the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1940.
A close advisor recommended him to work under President Dwight D. Eisenhauer. The person who recommended him was General Lucious D. Clay, whom he had worked with regarding post-war plans for Germany.
Humphrey was one of the most influential men in Eisenhauer’s cabinet. Eisenhauer was once quoted as having said, “when George speaks, we listen.”
Humphrey advocated for a free market economy. He served from 1953 to 1957 on Eisenhauer’s cabinet until he resigned.
He had given up a $300,000 business position to accept the U.S. cabinet position which paid $22,500. He fought to have a balanced U.S. budget with tight money limits on welfare and foreign aid. He also fought for “trickle-down” tax cuts and tried to cut government spending, saying in 1957 that if the government did not quit spending, “you will have a depression that will cut your hair.”
George Humphrey left his government office in 1957 and returned to the M. A. Hannah Company. There he served as honorary board director and chairman.
Later he became chairman of the National Steel Company.
In 1962, a Senate committee investigated the stock-piling of nickel during his time in the cabinet. This 98 million dollar deal involved companies that he once headed. He explained to the committee that his motivation was to increase our country’s strategic stockpiles. He was cleared of doing wrong, as he made no profits from that deal.
Returning to his early life, on January 5, 1913 he married Pamela Stark of Saginaw, Michigan. They had three children together.
- Cynthia Humphrey, who married Royal Ferman. They divorced in 1970.
- Gilbert Watts Humphrey, who became chairman of the M. A. Hannah Company before dying in 1979.
- Caroline Helen Humphrey, who married John G. Buller.
In August of 1969, George Humphrey’s heart deteriorated when he suffered an apparent heat stroke. By this time in his life, he was frequently hospitalized. He died on December 27, 1969. He was buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Cleveland, Ohio.
Humphrey’s relatives continued to live in Cheboygan, Michigan, and they were proud of their relative who had served his country under President Eisenhauer in the difficult years following WWII. George Humphrey had worked very hard and he became Cheboygan’s most famous deceased citizen.