Society of Senates Past
Roster

EDWARD J. MASON
Republican, District 1.

Born in Cresaptown, June 12, 1930 to Bertram A. Mason and Cora Donahoe Gunning.  Attended Saint Fedelis Seminary in Herman, PA and La Salle High School in Cumberland (graduated 1948).  Attended University of Maryland; Strayer's Business College, Certificate, 1951.  Married to the former Sara Jane Dickerhoff; father of Michael Edward, Kathy Jayne, and Patrick Scott.

General Assembly:
Member of Senate, 1971-82.  Member, Finance Committee (later Budget and Tax Committee).  Minority Leader, 1975-83.  Member, Legislative Policy Committee.

Private Career and Other Public Service:
Served in U.S. Air Force, 1949-56.  Owner and operator of a dairy farm.  Hotel and restaurant proprietor.  President and Vice-President, Young Republicans for Allegany County, 1965-69.  Chair, Republican State Central Committee of Allegany County, 1969-70.  Member, Board of Directors, Allegany County Economic Development Corporation.  Vice-President, Maryland Federation of Young Republicans.  Member, National Restaurant Association.  Member, Board of Directors, Western Maryland Chamber of Commerce; Route 40 Association.  Outstanding Young Republican in Allegany County, 1967-68.  Outstanding Young Republican in Maryland, 1968.

Personal Comments and Observations:
    Senator Mason "spearheaded proper reclamation, bonding, setbacks and severance taxes to reclaim coal haul roads.  As a result, Maryland was far advanced in reclamation when the federal law went into effect and was the first state in the country to be approved by the Federal Reclamation Act.  Edward Mason supported right to work, opposed prevailing wage, supported construction management...  He also supported putting the Yough River corridor in the Wild and Scenic River Act which proved to be the right thing but wrong politically.  He chaired the Scanlon sub-committee on transportation which advocated the 50% Fare Box Policy for mass transit systems in the Baltimore and Washington areas.  This policy has saved the state hundreds of millions of dollars since it was passed in 1982.  He was one of the leaders to oppose Heavy Rail Mass Transit which caused one of the longest filibusters in state history.  The filibuster was finally broken by the then very powerful Mandel administration.  He also chaired a committee to look into the needs of the Juvenile Service Administration.  Mason sponsored legislation which abolished sales tax on domestic utility bills which has saved state consumers millions of dollars every year.
    "Ed Mason has stated, 'I had a wonderful career and I enjoyed every minute of it.'"

Compiled March 16, 2000 from the biographical files of the Maryland Manual, ©Maryland State Archives and from materials submitted by Senator Mason dated February 25, 2000.