Prominent businessman and developer, philanthropist, father, husband, friend and mentor, Joel Ferguson was born on November 14, 1938, in Lansing, Michigan, to Josephine Wharton-Ferguson and Rollin Ferguson. After a lifetime of astonishing accomplishments, Joel Ferguson peacefully passed on October 19, 2024 in Lansing, MI. Only fitting that it be on the same morning of the MSU Homecoming, which he dedicated so many years to. He was a true Spartan, through and through.
Joel will be remembered for his kind heart, his charismatic smile, his natural born ability to redefine business hustle and his lifelong purpose to create positive change, in which he did. Joel’s positive impact on the state of Michigan and beyond will be felt for many generations.
He received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education in 1965 from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. Ferguson served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1957 to 1959. After college, he taught elementary school and adult education and was assistant director of the job training center for the Michigan Catholic Conference for two years. He was the director of the Greater Lansing Urban League On the Job Training program from 1967 to 1969. Joel was no stranger to hard work and knowing what it took to work his way up. A perfect example is when he started working as a caddy at the Country Club of Lansing and later became President of the Club.
In 1967, he became the first African American elected to the Lansing City Council, serving three terms until 1970. In 1968, he chaired Robert F. Kennedy’s presidential campaign in mid-Michigan and the Michigan Delegation to the Democratic National Convention. From 1969 to 1973, Ferguson was development director at the Mid-West Urban Construction Company of Flint, Michigan. In 1972, he worked on George McGovern’s presidential campaign and has had a role in every Democratic presidential campaign since. In 1973, Ferguson co-founded F & S Development Company with Sol Steadman; he later founded Ferguson Development LLC in 1996 in Lansing. In 1980, Ferguson became co-owner of the property management firm First Housing Corporation and, in 1982, founded WFSL-TV in Lansing, later WSYM Fox47, where he served as president. He co-founded Lansing’s Capitol National Bank in 1983. Ferguson founded Lansing’s WLAJ-TV, an ABC affiliate, in 1990, where he served as president. Ferguson has developed buildings across Michigan, including for the Michigan State Police and the Michigan House of Representatives.
Joel’s work extended far beyond the business world. As an influential figure in the political and educational spheres, he served as Michigan campaign manager for Reverend Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns. In 1986, Ferguson was elected to the Michigan State University board of trustees, where he served twelve years as chair and was the longest-serving member with 33 years, ending his tenure in 2021. In 1988, Ferguson became an at-large member of the Democratic National Committee, where he later served on the Standing Committee on Credentials. Joel was a delegate to the DNC for Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, even
flying on Air Force One with President Bill Clinton. He was a member of the Detroit Guardsman, the Alpha Chi Boule and a lifelong Member of the NAACP.
He joined the board of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation in 1989, of which he became vice-chair in 2004, and served on the board of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) from 1995 to 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he was vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee Black Caucus. He also has served on the boards of the Michigan Broadband Development Authority and the Flint Receivership Transition Authority, as a senior advisor for Detroit Mayor Coleman Young’s reelection campaign, on the Ingham County Board of Supervisors, the Greater Lansing Safety Council, and the Citizens Commission to Improve Michigan Courts.
Ferguson received the A. Philip Randolph Institute Award in 1987, the NAACP Truth & Justice Award, the Lansing Black Lawyers Association award in 2005, a doctorate of humane letter from Adrian College in 2008, an award from the Greater Lansing Sports Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Commission Award. In 2022, Ferguson was awarded the Xavier DeGroat Autism Foundation award.
History Makers documented Joel Ferguson’s life story in the Library of Congress in March of 2022.
He is survived by his beloved wife, life-partner of 42 years, Anna Strong-Ferguson; children, Dori, Barry, Jennifer (Christopher), David Sr. (Danielle), and Stacia; grandchildren, Conrad, Kobe, DJ and Terryn; nephews, Quinn and Lilton Montgomery; niece, Tiffany Pruitt (Darryll); bonus brother, Gregory Eaton; cousins, Cynthia Long (Larry), Jerry Wilson (Lisa); sisters-in-law, Sandy Strong, Betty Siders, Halia Paynes, Karla Strong, Joy Ferguson.
Special friends include, but are not limited to, Liz Turpin, his first babysitter and a lifelong friend, Joe Garza, Pete and Paula Cunningham, Melanie Foster, Ernie and Phyllis Green, Linda Sims, Tina Miller, and Ryan Berends.
Preceded in death by his two brothers, Brian and Christian Ferguson; the mother of Joel’s five children, Erma Jean Ferguson (Townsley).
Special thanks to the staff at Sparrow Hospital, The Ridge at Lansing and Molly Dittrich, BSN, RN from Michigan Community VNA for giving Joel such kind, patient and gentle care; Barb Hagen for her guidance and support.
Joel Ferguson’s life was a testament to what it means to serve one’s community with passion, integrity, and vision. He leaves a legacy of kindness, generosity, and leadership that will continue to inspire those who knew him. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
Public visitation will be held from 4:00-8:00 pm on Thursday, October 24, 2024 at Gorsline-Runciman Tiffany Chapel, 3232 W. Saginaw, Lansing. A Celebration of Life will be held from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Izzo Hall of History at The Breslin Center, 534 Birch Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made out to the Boys and Girls Club of Lansing in memory of Joel Ferguson.
