10/23/07

The permanent placement of the Michigan Legal Milestone plaque commemorating the role attorney Prentiss M. Brown played in the construction of the Mackinac Bridge will take place in St. Ignace Thursday, Nov. 1. The dedication, part of a larger ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the bridge’s official opening, begins at 12:30 p.m. at Bridge View Park.

Brown, a St. Ignace native, was appointed chair of the Mackinac Bridge Authority in 1950 and remained so until his death in 1973. Through his leadership, financing and building plans began to take shape. He and his colleagues overcame many financing obstacles, eventually funding the construction through the sale of revenue bonds. The project was completed in 1957 at a cost of just under $100 million. The plaque recognizing his achievements was unveiled at a ceremony in Grand Rapids held in conjunction with the State Bar of Michigan Annual Meeting.

In addition to the placement of the Legal Milestone plaque, the Nov. 1 ceremony will feature the dedication by the Michigan chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, which named the span the top civil engineering project of the 20th century. A number of 4th grade classes from across the Upper Peninsula will be in attendance, as will the St. Ignace High School band.

The Michigan Legal Milestone effort, which honors important cases, events, and personalities in our state's rich legal history, is a program of the SBM Public Outreach Committee.

###