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He was elected Governor of Maryland in 1958 by the greatest
majority ever given a candidate for that office. He was re-elected to a
second four-year term in 1962.
During its first seven years, the Administration of Governor Tawes
has been characterized by a consistent regard for the fiscal integrity
of the State and a strong desire to insure that State government
operations are made more responsive to the needs of the citizens of
Maryland.
Prudent fiscal management has permitted an unprecedented expan-
sion of State services. At the same time, financial assistance to hard-
pressed counties, cities and towns has been increased substantially.
During his tenure in office, the Governor secured enactment of legis-
lation regulating the savings and loan industry in Maryland, creating
the Municipal Court in Baltimore City, establishing the State Depart-
ment of Economic Development and providing in 1960 for the con-
struction of a 500-mile network of arterial highways crisscrossing the
State, and in 1964, providing for 890 miles of additional major high-
ways to be completed by 1971.
To provide for the expansion of Maryland's facilities for higher
education, the concept of teachers colleges was abandoned and these
institutions became Colleges of the Arts and Sciences. An Advisory
Council on Higher Education was established to study Maryland's
needs in this area. Provisions were also made for the construction of
branches of the University of Maryland in various sections of the
State, and one branch in Catonsville is under construction. In 1964,
the formula for the distribution of State aid to local government for
the operation of their public schools was increased to such an extent
that it was acclaimed by educators as the most significant advance-
ment in public education made by the State in more than forty years.
Under the leadership of Governor Tawes, Maryland became the first
State south of the Mason-Dixon Line to enact a public accommodation
act. Directives were issued by the Governor prohibiting discrimination
on the basis of race, creed or color in State employment and by con-
tractors doing business with the State government. Maryland's Work-
men's Compensation laws were liberalized and a Coordinating Com-
mission on Problems of the Aging was established. Maryland's traffic
safety program has been cited as being among the best in the nation.
To provide for the orderly growth and development of the Baltimore
Metropolitan area, the Governor initiated and supported legislation
creating the Regional Planning Council and invested that body with
broad powers. To rehabilitate the oyster industry, the State, under
Governor Tawes, initiated a broad scale oyster shell planting program
which experts predict will revitalize this industry. To meet the com-
petition of surrounding states, horse racing on one-mile tracks in
Maryland was strengthened by the transfer of racing dates from half-
mile and harness tracks. Legislation was enacted providing for the
gradual elimination of slot machines from Maryland, and thousands
of acres have been added to the State park system.
Under Governor Tawes, three of Maryland's mental institutions,
Spring Grove, Crownsville and Springfield, regained accreditation, and
Henryton Hospital was converted into an institution for mental retar-
dates. In 1962, a new headquarters for the Department of Motor
Vehicles was opened in Glen Burnie, and the Baltimore Beltway and
the Capital Beltway encircling Washington, D. C„ were completed. The
John F. Kennedy Memorial Highway linking Baltimore with the Dela-
ware line has been opened.
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Maryland Manual, 1965-66
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