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Haˇzen\˘h?-?n\n [origin, American, Irish name] 1: Amazin' Hazen, n ? Hazen Francis Kennedy
?is named after his great, great uncle - Hazen Frantz. Great Uncle Hazen is a family hero who did some amazing things to help his sister (our Hazen's Great Grandma Edna) and his nephew (our Hazen's Grandpa Bill) throughout his long life. (see other amazin' hazens section below)
The name Hazen is not very common now but was a bit more prominent in the 19th century when Hazen Frantz was born. We were recently informed by a chaplain at Cornell Weil/NY Hospital (where Amazin' H. spent some time in the intensive care) that Hazen meansE person who loved children- he would hide the children in bushes and tell them stories to keep them occupied/safe whilst pillagers and conquerors were attempting to take over towns and villages in Ireland.
2: Hazan Means "autumn" in Turkish and cantor or "one who cries out the truth" in Hebrew 3: His middle name Francis is in honor of his great grandpa John Francis Mikiel
(Coincidentally, they all share these other three things in common)
1) They are all heroes
2) All have staunch Michigan roots & connections
3) Despite their greatness, none are well-known figures
Hazen Frantz
Our Amazin' Hazen's namesake and great-great Uncle, Hazen Frantz was a lifelong Michigan resident (born: 1894 in Adrian, Michigan; died in Fenton, Michigan) Hazen F. was a selfless gentleman who put his family above everything else. He rescued various members of his family at critical moments in their lives thus shaping the way our own family lives today.
Hazen "Kiki" Cuyler
is a baseball hall-of-famer who is best known for his speed, hitting, and amazing outfield glove. Hazen batted over .350 four times in his 15-year career and was considered by some to be the "right-handed Ty Cobb" (note: this Amazin' Hazen had all of the talent of a Ty Cobb or Pete Rose and none of the venomous baggage, rather, he was a swell guy).
In his rookie year of 1924, Hazen C. hit .354 and stole 32 bases. The next year he hit .357 and was the stolen base king. In his career, he hit over .300 ten times! and banged out 2,299 hits for a career batting average of .321. Soft spoken and sans scandals, his name might not be well known but this Hazen was definitely an amazin' baseball player and thus you can visit him in Cooperstown, New York. Don't EVER call him Shirley.
Born: August 30, 1898, in Harrisville, Michigan
Died: February 11, 1950, in Ann Arbor, Michigan
Quote "Cuyler can hit, run, field and throw with the best of 'em. What a great ballplayer he is."
- Fred Hoey - Red Sox broadcaster from the 30's
Hazen Pingree
Mayor of Detroit from 1890-1987, Governor of Michigan from 1897-1901
While most large cities were run by bosses leading political machines, (essentially scoundrels and charlatans) Hazen P. was a rarity at this moment in American history - a high-powered government official who was honest, efficient, and reform-minded. Hazen was a progressive who put forth the notion of cooperation, brotherhood, and fairness - not because he had to in order to pander to public opinion polls; rather, he had ideals and it was both in his character and heart to lead this way. This hero, this champion of the needy, along with other great progressive figures of the 1890's like Jane Addams in Chicago and Lillian Wald in New York City led the battle against inner-city poverty and corruption in municipal government. Hazen changed the paradigm of big city politics by creating municipal ownership of utilities, housing codes, and overhauling city services. While he was blazing these trails, the state legislatures (who were controlled by railroads, monopolies, big corporations) were trying to obstruct him. After three brilliant terms as Mayor of Detroit, Hazen was elected Governor of Michigan. With the new title, he battled the railroads and his own state legislature again - forcing the railroads to pay equitable taxes. Wildly popular among the people, Hazen was on his way to spreading his progressive ideals to the rest of a deserving nation but unfortunately died in office at the young age of 59.
Many of this Amazin' Hazen's accomplishments are standards that we all take for granted in the 21st century, but at that time, his actions were truly revolutionary and really paved the way for the comfortable living and social equity that we enjoy today.
Hazen P's Great Feats (some)
- Named one of America's greatest mayors ever along with Boston's Josiah Quincy (1823-1828), New York City's Fiorello La Guardia (1934-1945), and Los Angeles's Tom Bradley (1973-93) source: The American Mayor The Best and the Worst Big-City Leaders
- After the economic panic of 1893, he established vegetable gardens on all vacant lots in the city to raise food for the unemployed/poor - these came to be known as "Pingree's Potato Patches" This was later modeled in other American cities/states.
- First to propose creating a riverfront area in Downtown Detroit (1890)
- Only Michigan politician that was elected both mayor of Detroit and Governor of Michigan
- One of the only governors to oppose the Spanish-American War
- Started out as a shoemaker (no blue blood or Bush genes)
- Named his daughter Hazel (same name as Hazen Kennedy's hypothetical sister)
- Was a close personal friend of the King of England (Edward VII) - an enthusiastic Hazen admirer.
- Was considered the Michigan Teddy Roosevelt.