Background
Gribbs, Roman S. was born on December 29, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Roman and Magdeline (Widziszewski) Grzyb.
judge lawyer politician Mayor of Detroit
Gribbs, Roman S. was born on December 29, 1925 in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Son of Roman and Magdeline (Widziszewski) Grzyb.
He graduated from the University of Detroit in 1952 with a degree in economics and accounting, and received a law degree from the same institution in 1954.
Later, Gribbs served as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals. He was raised on a farm near Capac, Michigan. After graduating from high school in 1944, Gribbs served in the Army until 1948.
He was an instructor at the university from 1955 through 1957, and became an assistant prosecutor in 1957, a position he held until 1964.
He entered private practice in 1964, and ran for a seat as a Recorder"s Court judge in 1966, but lost. In 1968, Gribbs was appointed sheriff of Wayne County, later winning a full four-year term.
Rather than residing in the Manoogian Mansion, official residence of the mayor of Detroit, Gribbs maintained residence in Rosedale Park Historic District (Detroit, Michigan), a neighborhood in northwest Detroit. In 1973, Gribbs declined to seek re-election and was replaced by Coleman Young who was elected Detroit"s first African-American mayor in November of that year.
After leaving the mayor"s office, Gribbs returned to private practice.
Gribbs became a circuit court judge in 1975. He was elected to the Michigan Court of Appeals in 1982, upon which he served until his retirement in 2001. Gribbs currently resides in Northville in suburban Detroit, and conducts private practice in mediation and arbitration.
He is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Piast Institute, a research center devoted to Polish and Polish American affairs
Trustee University Detroit, 1974-1980. Commissioner Michigan Commission on Inter-governmental Relations, since 1989. Board directors Thomas M. Cooley Law School, since 1991.
Served as sergeant Army of the United States, World World War World War II. Member National League of Cities (president 1973), Michigan Judges Association (board directors since 1978, president since 1992), United States Conference Mayors (trustee), Michigan Conference Mayors (president), Delta Sigma Phi, Blue Key.
Children: Paula, Carla, Christopher, Rebecca, Elizabeth.