APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Historically, the Conference on the Appalachian Region
called by the Governor for May 20, 1960, may rank in sig-
nificance as an American institutional landmark with the
Annapolis Convention of 1786, which was a basic step in the
movement for the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The
organization of the Conference of nine Appalachian govern-
ors marked the launching of a vehicle which finally produced
in 1965 the Appalachian Regional Commission, which Presi-
dent Lyndon B. Johnson has called a unique experiment
in "creative federalism. "

The Governor's sponsoring of a regional economic study
in 1959, which became a basic reference document, and his
emphasis on the essentiality of a regional developmental
approach have earned him a special position as a pioneer
in this new recognition of the central role of states in
state-federal-local cooperation. He emphasized, early in his
presentations, the importance of an Appalachian regional
highway system, the strong role of planning in regional
development and the concept of the sub-regional growth
center as a focus for sound development.

Although Maryland has only three counties in the Ap-
palachian geographic configuration, the contributions of
ideas and leadership have made a lasting imprint on this
pragmatic approach to a solution of an underdeveloped
region.

ADDRESS, GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE ON THE
APPALACHIAN REGION

ANNAPOLIS
May 20, 1960

First of all, I want to welcome you to Maryland I know many of
you had to take time from busy schedules to be here today. That fact
is, I believe ample testimony to the importance of the matters we are
here to discuss. As I am sure you are aware, we have a great deal of
ground to cover in a very short time. For this reason, I shall be brief,
as I know we all want to allow as much time as possible for exchange

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