A self-described practical business man, William S. Gordy Junior was the most unlikely of candidates for the State Comptroller’s office in 1921. Yet, this "dark-horse" Democrat proved the pundits wrong and proceeded to win the office a historic five times.

The son of a well-known civic leader and business man in Wicomico County, Gordy seemed destined for a future mixing politics and business. Born in Salisbury on December 21, 1873 to William Sidney Gordy, Sr. and his wife Virginia Dashiell Brewington Gordy, Gordy Jr. would follow in his father’s footsteps and for a short time work in the local freight office of the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway Company. In 1897, Gordy returned to Salisbury and began a banking career at the Salisbury National Bank that would last until his death in 1950. He served in every position in the bank starting as a cashier in 1912 becoming bank president in 1932. During the interim, he married M. Clara White in 1901, served a then record-breaking18 years as Maryland’s State Comptroller, and ran for Governor three times.

Although heavily involved in civic and volunteer activities long before and after his terms as Comptroller, including a life-long interest in the Salisbury Home for the Aged, Gordy’s rise to state-wide political fame had a less than auspicious beginning, but would prove to marvel even the most cynical of pundits. Gordy was approached by Democrats to run in 1921, an off-year. Comptroller E. Brooke Lee would not seek re-election and the Republicans had swept into office the previous election year and Democrats feared the landslide was not over. Gordy, a political unknown at the time, ran against Republican Oliver Metzerott and won by 20,000 votes. The victory pushed Gordy from dark horse candidate to what the establishment regarded as a political wonder.

Gordy’s interesting debut didn’t end there. His inauguration also proved historic. On January 16, 1922, Gordy officially became State Comptroller in the sickroom of the Governor’s mansion. Governor Ritchie had been recovering from bronchitis and administered the oath to Gordy while sitting in his chair.

Gordy went to work right away. Within his first year in office, he installed an efficient double-entry book-keeping system that reduced work and errors which, in turn, allowed the state to collect 200,000 dollars more in corportation taxes and more than half a million more from state tax officers. These funds were not additional income to the state, merely prompter payments possible because of the new system. Additionally, Gordy recommended to the General Assembly that a position for a State License Inspector be created. The Assembly adopted the recommendation, including in 1924 the creation of 3 assistant position to the Inspector. The Inspector was responsible for making sure businesses took out licenses and one appropriate to their line of business. In its first year, the position helped bring in an additional 40,000 dollars in revenue to the state. Additionally, in 1924, Gordy recommended that the Comptroller and the Governor be permitted to "supervise the expenditures of the State departments and institutions". This broad and encompassing power was later granted to the Board in the 1933 Budget bill. However, all of Gordy’s recommendation didn’t prove to be much to the liking of the Assembly. In his first report to the Assembly in 1922, Gordy suggested that fire-proof vault be installed to protect valuable and important record. He would continue to make this recommendation off and on for the next 18 years of his term. His successor, J. Millard Tawes, would see the installation of the vault in the Board’s new offices in the new State Office Building in Annapolis.

Gordy’s practical business sense further aided the state’s financial situation. In his annual report to the Assembly in 1932, Gordy proclaims that an "extended and practically completed system" whereby all state accounts make direct payments to the Treasury has greatly enganced the quick settling of accounts.

Just as the Board was beginning to take on more and more responsibilities and eventually outgrow its office spaces, the state’s finances fell into problems because of a world-wide financial disaster. Gordy’s tenure ran the course of the Great Depression, including a time when it seemed the state could become insolvent. In his report to the Assembly in 1935, Gordy announced that "owing to the period most unusual conditions to be met in the financial transactions affecting the welfare of the state." Gordy announced that the measures he suggested that the state use in anticipating the financial situation of 1935 have been successful, namely the use of 1 million dollars in anticipation of taxes for 1935. It seemed the state had once again returned to slightly better conditions anticipating a surplus for 1936 around 1.2 million.

Four years after first entering the Comptroller’s office, Gordy tentatively set his sights on the number one position in State Government--the Governor’s office. Gordy announced he would seek the Governor’s office, but once Ritchie decided to run for a third term, Gordy pulled out and ran for re-election as Comptroller. The situtation proved to be a sticky one for Ritchie, Gordy and their supporters, respectively. While Gordy was admired by many for his conduct within the office, including political leaders in Baltimore, the relationship between Gordy and Ritchie may not have been as cordial. Gordy and Ritchie apparently fought on several issues and some within Ritchie’s circle were eyeing the Comptrollership. Additionally, Gordy was nearly forced off the ticket by his predecessor E. Brooke Lee, because of Gordy’s gubernatorial aspirations. Still, Gordy and Ritchie remained on the same ticket and both won re-election.

In 1933, speculation once again surrounded Gordy’s intention in that year’s election. Once again, Gordy maintained that his allegiance was to Governor Ritchie and if Ritchie chose to run for a Senate seat, then Gordy would make a bid for Governor. However, Ritchie decided to press on for a fifth term as Governor and Gordy ran with the ticket as Comptroller. The Baltimore-News American reported that there was opposition to the renomination of Gordy by Democratic insiders, particularly on the Eastern Shore, Gordy was the favored candidate by the Governor. It seems Gordy and Ritchie did not trust one another in the earlier stages of their terms; a relationship that compelled some in Ritchie’s inner circle to push Gordy off the ticket in 1926 and 1930. However, Gordy and Ritchie were on much friendlier terms at the time of the 1933 election, an election Ritchie would lose to Republican Harry W. Nice. Gordy moved on to his fifth term in office.

In 1938, Gordy tried one last time for the highest seat in State office. Despite reports that insiders wanted him to run against Millard Tydings for the United States Senate and his intent on running again for the Comptroller’s office, Gordy held firm and ran for the Democratic party nomination for Governor. He lost. Gordy also refused to run for re-election as State Comptroller, effectively ending his historic career as a state politician.

Gordy returned to the Eastern Shore and devoted his time to both the banking business and civic leadership. In 1939, as President of the Peninsula General Hospital, Gordy conducted a fund-raising campaign that resulted in the modernization of the institution and nearly doubled it in size. Gordy also continued his duties as President of the John B. Parsons Home for Aged, a role he had since he was first given the post in 1916. Gordy died in December of 1950, newspaper reports say he had been ill since January of that year.

Gordy’s all-business style proofed effective in the face of media scrutiny. Newspaper accounts of Gordy show a respectful deference to the Comptroller, if not out-right adoration. Particularly interesting is the coverage of Gordy by one of the state’s leading republican newspapers, The Baltimore-News American.

While the paper’s treatment of the democratic party as a whole, is in some respect, cordial, Gordy is proclaimed a "political wonder" and a "new politician…the old-timers are sitting up and taking notice." He is given credit for delivering campaign promises and is extolled as being a straight-shooter and a man of his word. Report J.A. Newell writes, "Gordy is master of tabloid eloquence. His laconic reply speaks volumes. Some politicians could say less in a column ‘statement’. And Gordy means what he says." Some interesting articles done by the Baltimore News American also reveal this seeming adoration with Gordy. One small article is entirely devoted to Gordy’s new mustache. Another by journalist Anne Kinsolving refers to Gordy as a "wise man". She proceeds to write that while the office itself was filled with men running an amusing "circus", Gordy was himself a "very polite man with a proper respect for appointments." She further describes Gordy as a doll, "As I sat looking at Mr. Gordy I had a very disrespectful thought. I thought if I were to take Mr. Gordy by the nose and turn his head it would come all the way around and back to where it started from. I once saw a doll that looked very much like Mr. Gordy to which this was easily done. In fact, I think it was manufactured expressly for that purpose. Mr. Gordy was made for other purposes, once of which was to be a good State Comptroller, which he undoubtedly is." The ringing endorsement of Gordy continues to the last line, "I though to myself as I left Mr. Gordy’s office, ‘Here is a man whose prime interests in life are practicality and honesty, and somebody had the sense to make him State Comptroller. That was a very wise thing for somebody to do’."