Mickey Maddin in Alaska, July 1997
&natant
ASter
Buizel Award winner, but shhh . .. don't tell anybody.
Mickey Maddin is t
HARRY KIRS BAUM
St aff Writer
B
eginning with the name-
plate of Julian Krolik in
1951, 53 names complete a
plaque hung on a wall
leading to the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit's conference
rooms in the Max M. Fisher
Federation Building.
Highly recognizable names — phi-
lanthropist Max Fisher in 1964, the
late Jewish News publisher and editor
Philip Slomovitz in 1982, the late
Ambassador David Hermelin in
1996, and his wife, Doreen, in 2001
9/26
2003
18
and the distinguished others grace
the Fred M. Butzel Memorial AWard /
plaque, our Jewish community's high-
est communal leadership honor.
Michael W. "Mickey" Maddin's
'name is being added, but.he says he
isn't quite sure why Ve's been selected
as this year's recip4t.
"I just did a ffe-W things,",said
-Maddin, shunning the. votlight. "I've
been convinced by others to just
accept the award.'"
Federation past president Robert
Naftaly, 2002 Butzpl awardee, said,
"He's been involved in a lot. of differ-
ent things in the community, but he
doesn't look for glory for himself. You
may not see his name in the paper,
but I think he does as much for the
community as anybody. He puts the
best of his ability into everything he
does in order to do for other people."
In his Southfied law office,
Maddin, the "Type-B" managing
director and president of Maddin,
Hauser, Wartell, Roth & Heller, sits
at an old oak conference table — a
family heirloom — and tries Ilk best
to figure out why he's reeivirii the
award.
After all, his family — three sons, a
daughter and a grandchild on the way
— comes first, then comes nature.
"One of the finest things in life to
Mickey is a hike in the woods," said
Mark Hauser, United Jewish
Foundation president and Maddin's
"Type-A" law partner since 1982.
"He's not a spender — he probably
spends less money on himself than
anyone else I know."
Humble Roots
Maddin, 63, was born in Detroit in
1940. His parents, Milton, an attor-
ney, and Lois, a schoolteacher, were
University of Michigan graduates.
Although his father was active in
Federation and eventually belonged
to Franklin Hills Country Club,