Famous people's places / Detroit – New Center
Cadillac Place
Albert Kahn's General Motors headquarters, home from 1922 to 1978 to the Campbell-Ewald ad agency, where copywriter Elmore Leonard worked; now Michigan state offices.
01 / The story of this place
Make time for these
Albert Kahn designed this 15-story limestone-and-granite headquarters for General Motors, built 1919–1923 as the world's second-largest office building of its day. GM's advertising agency, Campbell-Ewald, moved its entire Detroit operation into the building in 1922, after winning the full GM account, and stayed until 1978; copywriter Elmore Leonard worked there through the 1950s, drafting his early Western novels on lunch breaks before turning to crime fiction. GM used the building as its world headquarters until 2001, when it moved downtown to the Renaissance Center. Renamed Cadillac Place after the city's French founder, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, the building was sold to the State of Michigan and now houses state offices and Wayne County courts.
- Albert Kahn's 15-story GM headquarters, built 1919–1923
- Campbell-Ewald's Detroit ad agency worked here from 1922 to 1978
- Elmore Leonard wrote ad copy here and drafted his early Westerns
- GM's world headquarters until 2001
- Now Michigan state offices, renamed Cadillac Place
Famous Detroiters
Famous people tied to this place 11
Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.
- Elmore Leonard 1925–2013 · novelist, screenwriter
Worked here
Leonard wrote advertising copy here while writing his early Westerns on the side.
- Alfred P. Sloan 1875–1966 · president, CEO and chairman of General Motors
Worked here
GM's world headquarters throughout his leadership; now State of Michigan offices.
- William C. Durant 1861–1947 · founder of General Motors, co-founder of Chevrolet
Founded
The headquarters he ordered in 1919, first planned as the Durant Building; GM's home until 2001, now State of Michigan offices.
- Albert Kahn 1869–1942 · architect
Worked here
GM's headquarters until 2001, the second-largest office building in the world when completed; now state offices.
- Charles Erwin Wilson 1890–1961 · automotive executive, U.S. secretary of defense
Worked here
Albert Kahn's New Center headquarters of GM, where he worked as vice president and president; since 2002 it houses State of Michigan offices as Cadillac Place.
- Harley Earl 1893–1969 · automotive designer, GM's first head of design
Worked here
GM's headquarters, where the Art and Colour Section began before design moved to Warren.
- William S. Knudsen 1879–1948 · president of General Motors, wartime production chief
Worked here
GM's headquarters while he led Chevrolet and then the whole company.
- Roger B. Smith 1925–2007 · chairman and CEO of General Motors
Worked here
GM's world headquarters throughout his career.
- Ed Cole 1909–1977 · automotive engineer, president of General Motors
Worked here
GM's headquarters during his years as group executive and president.
- Semon Knudsen 1912–1998 · automotive executive, head of Pontiac and Chevrolet, president of Ford
Worked here
GM's headquarters during his years as a division chief and corporate vice president.
- Otis M. Smith 1922–1994 · lawyer, Michigan Supreme Court justice, GM general counsel
Worked here
GM's New Center headquarters during his years on its legal staff and as general counsel; now State of Michigan offices.
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Sources & fact check · Checked: 2026-09-25
An independently written bilingual guide. This collection is not an attendance-based ranking.
03 / Events
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Official website & visitor information ↗