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Hero or Villain? Metro Detroit's Legacy of Leadership
 Now Open!
What makes a leader? Are there certain qualities or characteristics that define leadership? Are leaders a product of their time or would they have risen to such status regardless of when they lived? Moreover, why do some think of a particular leader as a “hero” and others as a “villain”?
The exhibit now features three new artifacts including:
- A baseball signed by Ty Cobb inscribed: “This ball was hit for a homerun by Ty Cobb, June 2, 1925…George H. Brown”. This baseball was hit in the bottom of the ninth inning and won the game for Detroit.
- A Social Justice Newspaper from June 1939. The headline reads: “BOYCOTT FORCES ‘WINS’ TO CANCEL FR. COUGHLIN.”
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Social Justice Newspaper from April 1939. The headline reads “PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WANTS WAR FOR U.S.!”
This exhibit explores these questions by focusing on the lives of a wide range of community leaders who provoked passionate opinions throughout metro Detroit. They sparked conversation and controversy, drawing praise or criticism from pundits, politicians, pastors and the public. On streetcars and front porches, we discussed them, we adored them, or we despised them.
The personalities selected in this exhibit represent all periods of Detroit’s history and included a cross-section from politics, sports, commerce and religion. Each historical figure is presented through individual tableaus, offering visitors a multi-faceted view of their life, time, character, and the issue that defined their legacies.
The individuals featured include: Antoine Cadillac, Chief Pontiac, Augustus Woodward, Lewis Cass, Henry Ford, Ty Cobb, Fr. Charles Coughlin, Walter Reuther, Jimmy Hoffa, Martha Griffiths, Orville Hubbard, Nancy Ann Martin, Coleman A. Young, Ernest Goodman, Ossian Sweet and Irene McCabe.
Popular perceptions of each of these individuals are reflected through the eyes of their contemporaries, with a balanced selection of opinions offered by both devotees and detractors. The human personality behind the public persona is established using portraits, paintings, period clothing, and personal artifacts.
The Detroit Historical Society has gathered a panel of esteemed writers – scholars, historians, and editors – to provide a unique perspective for our featured individuals, addressing both the positive aspects as well as negative perceptions of each leader’s legacy. By presenting this information in this format, museum guests will draw their own conclusions about the person’s place in our history.
See below to view the text panel information from the featured individuals:
This exhibit is made possible by generous contributions from the General Motors Foundation and Bank of America.
Community Partner:
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