offer you, in as an objective a fashion as possible, some facts about
what has been accomplished in these all-important areas of govern-
mental endeavor.

Let us take education as an example. In my message to the General
Assembly earlier this year—at the final regular legislative session of my
Administration—I said this: "When the history of this General Assem-
bly and this Administration is written, I should not be surprised if the
advancement we have made in public education is not set down as our
greatest single achievement. " The State has made substantial advances
in public education, from the elementary grades through colleges and
the University, since I took the oath of office in 1959. For example,
in 1964, the General Assembly, at my request, enacted far-reaching
legislation making significant changes in the formula and amounts of
State aid to the communities for public education. The Maryland
State Teacher, the official publication of the Maryland State Teachers
Association, said of this program: "it will be long remembered as a
milestone in Maryland Education. " Salaries of teachers in the State
have risen steadily over recent years, and according to a report pub-
lished by the National Education Association, Maryland ranked ninth
among the States of the Union in the average pay of teachers. Starting
in 1959, when the State appropriated $6, 800, 000 for construction in
local school systems, this Administration distributed a history-making
total of $85, 782, 509 in a seven-year period for elementary and secondary
schools and at the close of 1965 saw the actual construction of 8, 500
new classrooms. Our record in the area of public higher education
is no less impressive. In my first budget, I asked for, and received,
a record $26, 900, 000 operating budget for higher education. These
funds have been increased steadily over the years and reached an un-
precedented $60, 698, 348 for the fiscal year under which we are now
operating. And these figures do not include the $118 million dollars
in capital funds which have been appropriated for the construction
and improvement of buildings, dormitories, libraries, classrooms,
laboratories and other facilities which have changed the face of college
and university campuses throughout the State.

Perhaps the most significant development in public higher educa-
tion in our time came with the establishment of what has been called
the "tri-partite system". The three parts of which are: (1) The
University of Maryland, with a greatly enlarged and improved pro-
gram; (2) the State colleges, comprised of Morgan State College and
the former teachers colleges converted to colleges of the arts and
sciences, and (3) the community colleges, vastly expanded and with

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