District Court Biographies
instructor, Dundalk Community College, Man of the
Year Award, Petach Tikvah Congregation Brotherhood;
Distinguished Citizen Award, Talmadical Academy.
Member, Jefferson Lodge I.O.O.F.; Amicable Lodge,
AF & AM; B'nai B'rith; Board member. Safety First
Club of Maryland; Board of Directors, Save-A-Heart of
Maryland; Board member, lewish National Fund. Mar-
ried; 3 children.
WILLIAM 0. E. STERLING. District Court, District
4, 1971—. Born in Leonardtown, March 2, 1916.
Attended St. Mary's Academy and Leonard Hall; Co-
lumbus University School of Law, LL.B., 1938, LL.M.,
1939. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1938. Served in
the U.S. Army. Member, Maryland State and St.
Mary's County Bar Associations. Former attorney for
the County Commissioners, St. Mary's County; attor-
ney for the Commissioners of Leonardtown; state's at-
torney, St. Mary's County; assistant state's attorney,
St. Mary's County; attorney for the St. Mary's County
Planning and Zoning Commission; attorney, St. Mary's
County Liquor Board. Member, Lions Club; Knights
of Columbus; Order of the Alhambra; American Le-
gion; VFW; St. Mary's County Farm Bureau. Married;
4 children.
HENRY W. STICHEL, JR. District Court, District 1,
1971—. Born in Baltimore City, August 26, 1930.
Attended Patterson Park High School; University of
Maryland; University of Maryland School of Law, J.D.,
1952. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1952. Member,
American, Maryland State, and Baltimore City Bar
Associations. Assistant city solicitor, 1955 - 1959; traf-
fic magistrate, 1959 - 1961; chairman. Board of Super-
visors of Elections, Baltimore City, 1963 - 1966. Asso-
ciate judge, Municipal Court, 1966-1971. Phi Eta
Sigma; Delta Theta Phi Law Fraternity Honor Key.
Member, Boumi Temple A.A.O.N.M.S.; Highlandtown
Exchange Club. Married; 2 children.
GEORGE M. TAYLOR. District Court, District 7,
1964—. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, September
26, 1920. Attended various schools in Pennsylvania and
Binghamton North High School, Binghamton, New
York; University of Baltimore, A.A., 1951, LL.B., 1953.
Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1954. Served in the
U.S. Army. Member, North American Judges Associa-
tion. Assistant attorney, Anne Arundel County Sanitary
Commission, 1961- 1964. Married; 3 children.
EDWARD 0. THOMAS. District Court, District 2,
1971 —; Administrative Judge. Born in Baltimore, Oc-
tober 24, 1917. Attended Baltimore City College; Johns
Hopkins University, A.B., 1940; University of Mary-
land School of Law, J.D., 1948. Admitted to the Mary-
land Bar, 1947. Served in the U.S. Army and the U.S.
Air Force Reserve. Member, American, Maryland
State, and Worcester County Bar Associations. Mar-
ried; no children.

Judiciary/379
JOHN CHARLES TRACEY. District Court, District
6, 1970—. Born in Silver Spring, February 27, 1932.
Attended Capitol Page School; University of Maryland,
B.A., 1957; University of Maryland School of Law, LL.B.,
1958, J.D., 1969. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1958.
Served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Member, Maryland
State and Montgomery County Bar Associations; Ameri-
can Judicature Society; National Council of Juvenile
Court Judges; former member, Executive Committee, Bar
Association of Montgomery County. Master for Juvenile
Causes, Montgomery County, 1966 -1967. Member,
Hiram Lodge #W, Mithras Lodge of Perfection, A.A.S.
R.; Almas Temple Shrine; founder, Montgomery County
Boys and Girls Home; founder, Drug Action Coalition of
Montgomery County; life member, Order of Demolay;
former director, Silver Spring YMCA; former director,
Boy Scouts of America; former director, Community
Psychiatric Clinic. Lecturer on the Juvenile Justice Sys-
tem; member, Section Council, Juvenile and Family Law
Committee, Maryland State Bar Association. Member,
Ager Road United Methodist Church. Married; 5 chil-
dren.
BLANCHE G. WAHL. District Court, District 1,
1977—. Born on Staten Island, New York, September 19,
1917. Attended New York public schools; Brooklyn Col-
lege of the City University of New York; Brooklyn Law
School of St. Lawrence University, LL.B., 1938. Admit-
ted to the New York Bar, 1939; Maryland Bar, 1952.
Member, American, Maryland State, and Baltimore City
Bar Associations. Assistant city solicitor and chief city
solicitor, Baltimore City Solicitor's Office, 1957 - 1977.
Married; 3 children.
FRED E. WALDROP. District Court, District 8,
1971 —. Born in Greenville, South Carolina, June 7,
1927. Attended Baltimore Polytechnic Institute; Towson
State, A.A., 1948; University of Baltimore, LL.B., J.D.,
1955. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1956. Served in the
U.S. Navy. Trial magistrate, Baltimore County, 1962 -
1971. Former chairman, American Cancer Society Cru-
sade. Married; 2 children.
JAMES J. WELSH. District Court, District 1, 1974—
Born in Baltimore City, January 20, 1927. Attended
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute; University of Baltimore,
A.A., 1957; University of Baltimore Law School, LL.B.,
1959. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1960. Served in the
U.S. Army. Maryland House of Delegates, 1950 - 1954;
City Council of Baltimore, 1955 - 1959. Former chief as-
sistant state's attorney, Baltimore City. Married; 2 chil-
dren.
WILLIAM W. WENNER. District Court, District 11,
1978 —. Born in Brunswick, Maryland, September 24,
1930. Attended Brunswick High School and St. James
School; Kenyon College, A.B., 1952; University of Mary-
land, LL.B., 1958. Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1958.
Served in the U.S. Army. Member, American and