The Adjutant General of Michigan is the senior military official of the Michigan National Guard and serves as the principal military advisor to the Governor of Michigan. The Adjutant General also serves as the Director of the Michigan Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). In this dual role, the official oversees the administration, training, readiness, and mobilization of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard.
History Territorial period (1820–1837) The office was first established by the Territorial Militia Act of May 11, 1820. This act authorized the Governor to appoint an Adjutant General to maintain muster rolls and report the status of the militia to the President of the United States.
Early statehood and restructuring (1838–1846) Following Michigan's transition to statehood, a legislative resolution on March 22, 1838, authorized the printing of the state's militia laws. At this time, the Adjutant General was designated as a staff officer with the rank of Colonel, primarily responsible for the "adjutant general's department" and the distribution of military forms and returns.
The office underwent a significant formalization under Act No. 70 of 1844. This act required the Adjutant General to be appointed by the Governor with the advice and consent of both houses of the Legislature. The act also elevated the rank of the office to Brigadier General.
This structure was codified in the Revised Statutes of 1846, which established a fixed two-year term of office and set the annual salary at $300.
Civil War significance During the American Civil War, the office grew in strategic importance. Adjutant General John Robertson served as a key advisor to Governor Austin Blair, coordinating the mobilization of volunteer regiments and managing the state's military quotas. Under Robertson's leadership, the department produced Michigan in the War, a comprehensive record of the state's military service.
List of Adjutants General The following is a list of individuals who have served as the Adjutant General of the Michigan Territory and the State of Michigan.
Name Term Notes James May 1800–1806 Territorial George McDougall 1806–1818 Territorial John R. Williams 1818–1829 Territorial; first Mayor of Detroit DeGarmo Jones 1829 Territorial Walter L. Berry 1829–1831 Territorial John E. Schwarz 1831–1838 First State Adjutant General Isaac Rowland 1839–1842 Elijah Roberts 1842–1844 John E. Schwarz 1844–1855 Second Term Frederick W. Curtenius 1855–1861 John Robertson 1861–1887 Longest serving; mobilized Michigan during the American Civil War Daniel B. Ainger 1887–1891 Judson A. Farrar 1891–1893 Charles Eaton 1893–1895 William S. Green 1895–1897 Civil War veteran and Detroit banker Edwin M. Irish 1897–1898 Fred H. Case 1898–1901 George H. Brown 1901–1905 William T. McGurrin 1905–1911 James N. Cox 1911–1912 Roy C. Vandercook 1912–1915 John S. Bersey 1915–1940 Egbert M. Rosecrans 1940–1943 LeRoy Pearson 1943–1948 George C. Moran 1948–1959 Ronald D. McDonald 1959–1965 Clarence C. Schnipke 1965–1974 John A. Johnston 1974–1983 Vernon J. Andrews 1983–1991 E. Gordon Stump 1991–2003 Thomas G. Cutler 2003–2011 Gregory J. Vadnais 2011–2019 Paul D. Rogers 2019–Present Incumbent
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