The first meeting to organize such an association was held on September 1, 1931, at the Olds Hotel in Lansing. Phillip C. Kelly, Friend of the Court in Jackson County, had sent letters to all Friends of the Court inviting them to the meeting.
On that day, the Friends decided on a motion by Edward Pokorny, the first Friend of the Court, that the organization’s purpose would be: “To further the interests of all children of divorced parents; to further beneficial legislation; to bring about better co-operation between Friends of the Courts of the different counties of the state for the exchange of ideas and for the betterment of their work.” Annual membership dues were established at $2.00. The constitution and by-laws were adopted at the following annual meeting, on September 7, 1932.
With the help of some retired former Friend of the Court Association presidents and the staff of the State Court Administrative Office, the association was able to identify most of the past presidents of the association. We continue to work on identifying the counties associated with some of these names. Additionally, we are open to corrections as the records were not always clear.
FOCA President
|
County
|
Years in Office
|
Phillip
C. Kelly
|
Jackson
|
1931-1933
|
Laird
J. Troyer
|
Ingham
|
1933-1935
|
C.
Earl Currah
|
Oakland
|
1935-1937
|
Jacob
Huff
|
Saginaw
|
1937-1939
|
Laird
J. Troyer
|
Ingham
|
1939-1940
|
Arthur
Foeltzer
|
Berrien
|
1940-1941
|
Wayne
|
1941-1942
|
|
Marybelle
Baker
|
Macomb
|
1942-1943
|
Edward
N. Linkfield
|
Kent
|
1943-1944
|
Charles
H. Wilkes
|
Muskegon
|
1944-1947
|
William
Wright
|
1947-1948
|
|
William
J. Roh
|
Kent
|
1948-1949
|
Wells
B. Warren
|
St.
Clair
|
1949-1950
|
Arthur
J. Slaggert
|
Saginaw
|
1950-1951
|
Lawrence
R. Buitendorp
|
Muskegon
|
1951-1952
|
Carruth
Cook
|
Washtenaw
|
1952-1953
|
John
H. Verdonk
|
Van
Buren
|
1953-1954
|
Ralph
J. Hyde
|
Midland
|
1954-1955
|
William
R. Thomson
|
Ionia-Montcalm
|
1955-1956
|
William
J. Roh
|
Kent
|
1956-1957
|
Rex
C. Maze
|
Mecosta
|
1957-1958
|
Elizabeth
Granzow
|
Berrien
|
1958-1959
|
James
B. Belgrave
|
Muskegon
|
1959-1960
|
George
Damson
|
Ottawa
|
1960-1961
|
Allan
Schmid
|
Saginaw
|
1961-1962
|
John
R. Dunfield
|
1962-1963
|
|
Morton
C. Pearson
|
Wayne
|
1963-1964
|
Lloyd
C. Service
|
Ingham
|
1964-1965
|
Robert
I. Coulon
|
Macomb
|
1965-1966
|
L.
Hubert McAvoy
|
Shiawassee
|
1966-1967
|
Sidney
B. Schneider
|
Midland
|
1967-1968
|
W.
Cadman Prout
|
Oakland
|
1968-1969
|
Anna
Weaver
|
Gratiot
|
1969-1970
|
Robert
W. Standal
|
Genesee
|
1970-1971
|
Harold
J. Cross
|
Lapeer
|
1971-1972
|
Herbert
Brickey, Jr.
|
Newaygo,
Oceana, Mecosta
|
1972-1973
|
Phyllis
Fockler
|
Arenac, Ogemaw, Roscommon
|
1973-1974
|
Fred
F. Conley
|
Eaton
|
1974-1975
|
Evelyn
Green
|
Gratiot
|
1975-1976
|
Charles
Bossardet
|
Grand
Traverse, Antrim, Leelanau
|
1976-1977
|
John
J. Houghton
|
Oakland
|
1977-1978
|
Wanda
Raich
|
Midland
|
1978-1979
|
James
Pocock
|
Ingham
|
1979-1981
|
Ron
Machnick
|
Jackson
|
1981-1983
|
Delores
(Dee) VanHorn
|
Isabella
|
1983-1985
|
Russel Vander Wier
|
Muskegon
|
1985-1986
|
Howard
Finkel
|
Washtenaw
|
1986-1987
|
Jack
Lewis
|
Otsego
|
1987-1989
|
Brian
Walsworth
|
Wexford
|
1989-1990
|
Mike
Keeler
|
Barry
|
1989-1991
|
Bill
Camden
|
Kent
|
1991-1993
|
Kent
Weichmann
|
Washtenaw
|
1993-1994
|
Jenny
Barkey
|
Genesee
|
1994-1996
|
Joseph
Salamone
|
Oakland
|
1996-1997
|
Emil
Joseph
|
Lapeer
|
1997-1998
|
Jean
O’Hagan
|
Ingham
|
1998-1999
|
Susan
Borovich
|
St.
Clair
|
1999-2001
|
Michael
Day
|
Allegan
|
2001-2003
|
Jeff
Albaugh
|
Calhoun
|
2003-2005
|
Susan
Thorman
|
Shiawassee
|
2005-2007
|
Suzanne
Hollyer
|
Oakland
|
2007-2009
|
Judah
Garber
|
Washtenaw
|
2009-2011
|
Lynn
Bullard
|
Van
Buren
|
2011-2013
|
Jack
Battles
|
Genesee
|
2013-2015
|
Eric
Stevens
|
Muskegon
|
2015-2017
|
Sandy
Erskine
|
Tuscola
|
2017-2019
|
Suzanne
Hollyer
|
Oakland
|
2019
|
Please contact Suzanne Hollyer at (248) 858-0431 or HollyerS@oakgov.com with any information.
