ST. IGNACE - The biggest obstacle to building the Mackinac Bridge wasn't necessarily about politics, engineering, logistics or finding good manpower. No, the biggest obstacle was convincing skeptical financiers in New York City that a $100 million bridge between two communities with a combined population of 3,000 would eventually pay for itself. So said Lawrence Rubin, 94, the oldest person alive who was directly involved at the highest level in the effort to obtain financing to build the bridge. He was appointed Executive Secretary of the Mackinac Bridge Authority on June 24, 1950, and supervised the operation and maintenance of the Mackinac Bridge from its opening on November 1, 1957, until his retirement on December 31, 1982. "The decision to build the bridge was made by financiers in New York who had probably never been west of Buffalo, and who

ST. IGNACE - The biggest obstacle to building the Mackinac Bridge wasn't necessarily about politics, engineering, logistics or finding good manpower.

No, the biggest obstacle was convincing skeptical financiers in New York City that a $100 million bridge between two communities with a combined population of 3,000 would eventually pay for itself.

So said Lawrence Rubin, 94, the oldest person alive who was directly involved at the highest level in the effort to obtain financing to build the bridge. He was appointed Executive Secretary of the Mackinac Bridge Authority on June 24, 1950, and supervised the operation and maintenance of the Mackinac Bridge from its opening on November 1, 1957, until his retirement on December 31, 1982.

"The decision to build the bridge was made by financiers in New York who had probably never been west of Buffalo, and who heard stories that Mackinac was in the middle of a wild area," Rubin said in a telephone interview this month. "And it was a risk, but they were convinced by some pretty talented investment advisors that they would make money."

And they did make money. Funded by tolls, the last of the Mackinac Bridge bonds were retired July 1, 1986. Fare revenues are now used to operate and maintain the Bridge and repay the State of Michigan for monies advanced to the Authority since the facility opened to traffic in 1957.

Rubin said the hiring of Dr. David Steinman as the Mackinac Bridge's chief engineer was one of the best moves made by the Mackinac Bridge Authority.

"He was an absolutely brilliant man, an absolute genius," Rubin said. "He made very convincing presentations, where he was very self-assured and he always had answers to questions. Indeed, he had an ego, but it went with his personna."

For example, Steinman was once asked what would happen if an ore carrier crashed into the bridge. "The boat would sink with serious loss of life," he answered.

Steinman, Rubin said, was one of the foremost critics of the engineering that went into the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge, nicknamed "Galloping Gertie," which famously swung from side to side before it collapsed on camera in 1940 because of its poor aerodynamic qualities. The collapse of that span was front and center in Steinman's thoughts when the Mackinac Bridge was being designed.

"He did not want to be a party to a bridge that was susceptible to wind," Rubin said. "He designed it so that a wind would move Mackinac Island before it would move that bridge."

Rubin, who can see the bridge from his home in St. Ignace, paid tribute to the men who went up and down the bridge every day, risking their lives to build the Mighty Mac.

"I think the workforce out here was fabulous," he said. "If they had to come down after it started raining, they'd be soaked by the time they got back. And of course it gets pretty cold here, and it could be dangerous work. But when you talk to them, you get the sense that they were really a proud crew, and enjoyed the satisfaction of building one of the greatest structures ever built."

heard stories that Mackinac was in the middle of a wild area," Rubin said in a telephone interview this month. "And it was a risk, but they were convinced by some pretty talented investment advisors that they would make money." And they did make money. Funded by tolls, the last of the Mackinac Bridge bonds were retired July 1, 1986. Fare revenues are now used to operate and maintain the Bridge and repay the State of Michigan for monies advanced to the Authority since the facility opened to traffic in 1957. Rubin said the hiring of Dr. David Steinman as the Mackinac Bridge's chief engineer was one of the best moves made by the Mackinac Bridge Authority. "He was an absolutely brilliant man, an absolute genius," Rubin said. "He made very convincing presentations, where he was very self-assured and he always had answers to questions. Indeed, he had an ego, but it went with his personna." For example, Steinman was once asked what would happen if an ore carrier crashed into the bridge. "The boat would sink with serious loss of life," he answered. Steinman, Rubin said, was one of the foremost critics of the engineering that went into the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge, nicknamed "Galloping Gertie," which famously swung from side to side before it collapsed on camera in 1940 because of its poor aerodynamic qualities. The collapse of that span was front and center in Steinman's thoughts when the Mackinac Bridge was being designed. "He did not want to be a party to a bridge that was susceptible to wind," Rubin said. "He designed it so that a wind would move Mackinac Island before it would move that bridge." Rubin, who can see the bridge from his home in St. Ignace, paid tribute to the men who went up and down the bridge every day, risking their lives to build the Mighty Mac. "I think the workforce out here was fabulous," he said. "If they had to come down after it started raining, they'd be soaked by the time they got back. And of course it gets pretty cold here, and it could be dangerous work. But when you talk to them, you get the sense that they were really a proud crew, and enjoyed the satisfaction of building one of the greatest structures ever built."