Frank J. Kelley

Frank Joseph Kelley (December 31, 1924 – March 5, 2021) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 50th attorney general of the U.S. state of Michigan. His 37-year term of office, from 1961 to 1999, made him both the youngest (36 years old) and oldest (74 years old) attorney general in the state's history, and led to his nickname as the "Eternal General". He won ten consecutive terms of office. He was the longest serving state attorney general in United States history, until Tom Miller of Iowa surpassed his longevity record in 2019—although Kelley still holds the record for longest continuous tenure as an attorney general. In 37 years of service as Michigan's chief law enforcement officer, he worked in concert with five Michigan governors.efn-ua|According to Jack Lessenberry, Kelley's biographer, no prior Michigan attorney general had served longer than five years. His father was a bar ("speakeasy")efn-ua|In 2015, on Michigan Public TV Kelly said his dad "was as popular as could be with his speakeasy bar in Detroit". Kelley said, "I don't pretend to be as charismatic as my father, but I did like people like my dad, and that helped in my political career and it helped in life, period." where Nessel announced Michigan's lawsuit against 17 chemical companies accused of being responsible for PFOA and PFAA and PFAS contamination.

He had a national impact and became president of the National Association of Attorneys General, becoming the only Michigan attorney general to do so. It honored him by creating and naming after him the Kelley–Wyman Award for outstanding service and national contributions by an attorney general. He was the first attorney general in the United States to establish Consumer Protection, Criminal Fraud and Environmental Protection Divisions. He denied involvement with an alleged Southfield prostitute who had his name in a "$100-a-night" box file.

In 1998, the State Bar of Michigan created the Frank J. Kelley Distinguished Public Service Award and named him its first recipient. "This award recognizes extraordinary governmental service by a member of the State Bar of Michigan." As Kelley himself stoically observed in 2013: "Most of this stuff is done posthumously. I'm just lucky to have lived to the ripe old age."

In 2015, Wayne State University Press published his autobiography, titled The People's Lawyer: The Life and Times of Frank J. Kelley, the Nation's Longest Serving Attorney General. Kelley's co-author was syndicated political columnist Jack Lessenberry. Lessenberry wrote that Kelly began in "the rollicking days of Prohibition", and with inspiration from John, Bobby and Teddy Kennedy, "went on to essentially invent consumer and environmental protection in the state of Michigan", and "crusaded for civil rights and equal representation before it was popular to do so."

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer ordered the lowering to half staff of U.S. and Michigan flags within the Michigan State Capitol Complex and on all public places in honor of his service.