Throughout his 36-year Senate career (Jan. 3, 1979, to Jan. 3, 2015), Levin earned respect from colleagues on both sides of the political aisle for his integrity, resourcefulness, diligence and ability to build consensus. A fighter for economic fairness and a powerful voice for equality and justice, he became one of the country’s most respected leaders on national security.
Levin’s influence and dedication advanced the legislative process and changed the way we govern today. In 2015, the Levin Center at Wayne Law was established to carry out his legislative oversight legacy and vision.
A lifelong Detroiter, Levin was born in Detroit on June 28, 1934, and graduated from Central High School in 1952. He earned his bachelor’s from Swarthmore College and J.D. from Harvard Law School. In 1961, he married Barbara Halpern, a 1977 graduate of Wayne Law. Together, they raised three daughters — Kate, Laura and Erica — and sought to spend as much time as possible with their six grandchildren.
As former president of the Detroit City Council, Levin went to Washington to ensure a compassionate and effective federal government. After witnessing mismanagement and its detrimental impact on Detroit by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in the 1970s, he developed a keen interest in holding government accountable and responsible to its people through in-depth, fact-based, bipartisan legislative oversight and strong ethics laws.
Levin’s top priority on Capitol Hill was always the economic well-being of Michigan families. He was a consistent voice of support for American manufacturing and was one of the Senate’s strongest advocates for policies that would help national manufacturers compete on a global scale.
For 10 years of his career, Levin was the chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, focusing on supporting our troops, strengthening our conventional forces and improving defense contracting. He also served as chair for the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and as co-chair of the Senate Great Lakes Task Force.
Upon his retirement from the Senate in January 2015, Wayne State University and Wayne Law — along with supporters, friends and former staff members — established the center that bears his name. The Levin Center’s principal focus is to promote fact-based, bipartisan oversight by Congress and the 50 state legislatures, and to encourage civil dialogue on major issues of public policy.
The Levin Center offers a variety of programs for high schoolers, Law School students, and staff at the federal and state levels. The Levin Center, Project On Government Oversight and The Lugar Center offer two-day, intensive training sessions for congressional staff on how to conduct oversight investigations. To date, more than 265 congressional staff and 70 congressional clerks — plus legislators and staff at the state level — have gained instruction on how to conduct fact-based, bipartisan, in-depth investigations.
Levin served as chair of the center and as Wayne Law’s distinguished legislator-in-residence, co-teaching courses on various subjects, including tax law and policy and legislative process and oversight.
If you wish to send a tribute or well wishes to his family, contact levin.family@wayne.edu.