Awarded by the president of the Maryland Senate to Marylanders who have been dedicated and effective participants in the process of making government work for the benefit of all. The award is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who wrote a series of influential letters published in 1773 in the Maryland Gazette under the name "First Citizen." At the time, Carroll, as a Roman Catholic, was barred from public office, but his First Citizen letters launched a long career of public service. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, helped shape Maryland's first Constitution, and served in the State Senate, Continental Congress and U.S. Senate.

In his First Citizen letters, Carroll strongly defended the idea of an independent legislature and argued that government must work for the benefit of all. He called for a radical restructuring of government based on the advice and consent of the people, ideas which contributed to the coming of the American Revolution.

The First Citizen Award features an image of the commemorative medal, shown above, commissioned for Carroll in 1826 in honor of his public service. It is presented in a ceremony in the Senate by the State Archivist, on behalf of the president of the Senate, William C. Ferguson IV.