LANSING, Mich. — Legislation recently introduced by state Sen. Michael Webber and state Rep. Mark Tisdel would name a section of Rochester Road from Tienken Road to M-59 the “William S. Broomfield Memorial Highway.”
Broomfield passed away in 2019 at the age of 96 and had an extensive history of civil service, representing residents of Oakland County in both Lansing and Washington, D.C.
“Mr. Broomfield spent much of his life working to better the lives of residents in Oakland County. He served with immense dedication and civility while understanding the extraordinarily important role of representing the voice of the people in a government body,” said Webber, R-Rochester Hills.
“Mr. Broomfield’s long-standing dedication to Congress merits the utmost recognition in every possible way. His invaluable contributions are diligently preserved in the archives of the VanHoosen museum in Rochester Hills. It is only fitting that the state thoroughfare, symbolizing his exceptional record of achievements, be named in his honor,” said Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills.
Born in Royal Oak and a veteran of World War II, Broomfield served in Congress for 36 years from 1957 until his retirement in 1993. He was the ranking Republican member of the U.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs for 18 years during the Cold War and through the fall of the Berlin Wall. That allowed Broomfield to be a part of a delegation that traveled to China in 1974 as the United States restored diplomatic relations with the communist nation.
Before going to Washington, Broomfield served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1948 to 1954, becoming speaker pro tempore in 1953. He was elected to the state Senate in 1955.
Webber sponsored similar legislation in honor of Broomfield when he served in the Michigan House.
Senate Bill 375 has been referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and House Bill 4705 has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation, Mobility, and Infrastructure for further consideration.
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