368/Maryland Manual
1936 Member, Maryland State Bar Association, Mary-
land Adjudicature Society, Susquehanna Law Club
State's attorney for Cecil County, 1950 - 1962 Mary-
land State Senate, 1963 - 1966 Member, Chantilly
Golf Club, North East Club, AF & AM, Shnne Mar-
ried, 2 children
DAVID GRAY ROSS. Seventh Judicial Circuit,
1978 — Born in Quanah, Texas, August 9, 1935
Attended McKinley High School, Washington, D C,
George Washington University, American University,
BS, 1960, Washington College of Law, American
University, J D , 1964 Served in U S Army Member,
Maryland State, Prince George's County, and District
of Columbia Bar Associations Assistant Corporation
Counsel, District of Columbia, 1965 - 1967, Associate
County Attorney, Pnnce George's County, 1967 -
1968, Master of Juvenile Causes, Pnnce George's
County, 1968 - 1970 Maryland House of Delegates,
1970 - 1978 Marned, 2 children
PLUMMER M. SHEARIN. Sixth Judicial Circuit,
1966 — Born in Essex, North Carolina, December
19, 1916 Attended Aurelian Spnngs High School,
Campbell College, A A , 1934, Wake Forest University,
B S , 1936, George Washington University Law School,
LLB, 1948, National Judicial College, 1966 Admitted
to the Maryland Bar, 1949 Served in the US Navy
Member, American, Maryland State, and Montgomery
County Bar Associations, National Conference of State
Tnal Judges, fellow, International Academy of Trial
Judges Administrative assistant to the County Manager
and clerk to the County Council, Montgomery County,
1949, assistant county attorney, Montgomery County,
1949 - 1951 Member, Masons, Shnne, Congressional
Country Club Author, Montgomery County Code, 1950
Marned, 2 children
EDGAR P. SILVER. Eighth Judicial Circuit, 1977 —
Born in Baltimore, July 1, 1923 Attended Baltimore City
College, University of Baltimore, LL B , 1954 Admitted
to the Maryland Bar, 1954 Served in the US Mantime
Service Member, Maryland State and Baltimore City Bar
Associations, Amencan Judicature Society Maryland
House of Delegates, 1955 - 1965, judge, Municipal
Court of Baltimore City, 1965 - 1971, judge, Distnct
Court of Baltimore City, 1971 - 1977 Member of many
civic and religious organizations and recipient of numer-
ous civic and religious awards and citations Marned, 2
children
LLOYD L. SIMPKINS. First Judicial Circuit,
1971 — Born in Mt Vernon, Maryland, June 6, 1920
Attended Washington Academy High School, Universi-
ty of Maryland, B S , 1947, J D , 1952 Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1952 Served in the US Navy Maryland
House of Delegates, 1951 - 1958, chairman. House Ju-
diciary Committee, 1955 - 1958, assistant to the Gover-
nor, 1958 - 1961, Secretary of State, 1961 - 1967,

Circuit Court Biographies
judge, Distnct Court, 1971 - 1975 Member, Lions
Club, Elks, Masons Marned, 1 child
ALBERT L. SKLAR. Eighth Judicial Circuit, 1964 —
Born in Baltimore, December 18, 1911 Attended
Baltimore City College High School, University of
Baltimore Law School, LLB, 1932 Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1932 Member, Amencan, Maryland
State, and Baltimore City Bar Associations, Amencan Ju-
dicature Society Maryland House of Delegates, 1939 -
1955 Chairman and vice-chairman, Washington Metro-
politan Area Transit Commission, 1959 - 1964, member
and chairman, Public Service Commission, 1958 - 1964,
member, Tn-State Commission of Maryland, Virginia,
and the Distnct of Columbia on Rapid Rail Transporta-
tion, 1960 - 1964, chairman, Commission to Revise the
Public Service Laws of Maryland, 1952 - 1956, member,
Postwar Redevelopment Commission, 1941 - 1945,
member, Tax Revision Commission of Maryland, 1939 -
1941, counsel, Junior Association of Commerce, 1935 -
1946, president, Alumni Association, University of
Baltimore, 1965 - 1972, board member, Chizuk Amuno
Congregation, president, Menorah Lodge, B'nai B'nth,
1976 - 1978, president, Histadrut Council, 1969 -
1976, past vice-president, Woodhoime Country Club,
1966, board member, Jewish Children Family Services of
Associated Jewish Chanties, Amicable Lodge, Scottish
Rite Alumnus of the Year Award, University of
Baltimore, 1973, Man of the Year Award, Menorah
Lodge, B'nai B'nth, 1965, Dr Herman Seidel Humanitar-
ian Award, 1976 Marned, 2 children
ANSELM SODARO. Eighth Judicial Circuit,
1956 —, Chief Judge Born in Sicily, September 9,
1910 Attended Baltimore City College, Loyola College,
BPh, 1931, University of Maryland, LLB, 1934 Ad-
mitted to the Maryland Bar, 1934 Member, Amencan,
Maryland State, and Baltimore City Bar Associations
State's attorney, Baltimore City, 1950 - 1956 Honor-
ary Doctor of Laws, Loyola College Member, Elks
Club, Italian-Amencan Civic Club, Applan Society
Marned, 3 children
JAMES H. TAYLOR. Seventh Judicial Circuit,
1969 — Born in Elkndge, July 7, 1926 Attended
Howard County public schools, Howard University;
Washington College of Law, Amencan University, J D ,
1953 Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1956 Served in
the US Army Air Corps Member, Maryland State
and Pnnce George's County Bar Associations, Monu-
mental Bar Association Assistant state's attorney,
1963 - 1966, master for Juvenile Causes, 1966 - 1968
Marned, 4 children
FREDERICK AUGUSTUS THAYER III. Fourth Ju-
dicial Circuit, 1977 — Born in Cumberland, Apnl
29, 1933 Attended Oakland public schools, College of
Wooster, BA, 1955, Duke University, JD, 1958
Served in the Maryland National Guard Member,