District Court Biographies

ington University School of Law, 1959. Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1959. Served in the U.S. Air Force, 1949-
1952. Member, American and Maryland State Bar As-
sociations; Maryland Trial Lawyers Associations. Listed
in Who's Who in Colleges and Universities; president, se-
nior class. Western Maryland College; fraternity presi-
dent, Western Maryland College. Attorney for Garrett
County, 1966-1982. Four children.

JAMES N. VAUGHAN. District Court, District 10,
1982—. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, December 29,
1934. Attended University of Baltimore, A.A., 1954;
Mt. Vemon Law School, LL.B., 1960. Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1960. Served in the U.S. Army, 1957;
Maryland National Guard, 1957-1963. Member, Amer-
ican, Maryland State, and Howard County Bar Associ-
ations. Democratic State Central Committee, Howard
County, 1970-1974; deputy state's attorney, Howard
County, 1966; assistant county solicitor, Howard Coun-
ty, 1967-1973; examiner for Howard County Circuit
Court, 1967-1970. Married; 1 child.

BLANCHE G. WAHL. District Court, District 1,
1977—. Bom on Staten Island, New York, September
19, 1917. Attended New York public schools; Brooklyn
College of the City University of New York; Brooklyn
Law School of St. Lawrence University, LL.B., 1938.
Admitted to the New York Bar, 1939; Maryland Bar,
1952. Member, Maryland State and Baltimore City Bar
Associations. Assistant city solicitor and chief city solic-
itor, Baltimore City Solicitor's Office, 1957-1977. Mar-
ried; 3 children.

FRED E. WALDROP. District Court, District 8,
1971—. Bom 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, Amer-
ican Cancer Society Crusade. 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 assistant state's attorney, Baltimore
City. Married; 2 children.

KENNETH A. WILCOX. District Court, District 3,
1973—; Administrative Judge. Juvenile Court Judge,
Cecil County. Born in Eden, New York, August 16,
1927. Attended New York, Pennsylvania, and Mary-
land public schools; University of Maryland, B.S., 1950;
University of Baltimore, J.D., 1962. Admitted to the
Maryland Bar, 1962. Served in the U.S. Navy. Member,
Maryland State Bar Association; Cecil County Bar and
Law Library Association; Susquehana Law Club. Trial
Magistrate, 1967; Mayor, Town of Elkton, 1967-1971;
Assistant State's Attorney for Cecil County, 1971-1973;

Judiciary/467

Court Auditor for the Circuit Court of Cecil County;
Substitute Chairman, Property Review Board for Cecil
County; chairman. Executive Committee, Judicial Con-
ference, 1982-1983. Former member, Elkton Kiwanis
Club; Elkton Optomist Club; district chairman. Boy
Scouts of America; Board of Directors, Upper Chesa-
peake Water Shed Association; past director, Cecil
County YMCA; past member, Executive Steering Com-
mittee, Big Elk Creek Water Shed Committee; past di-
rector, Executive Council, Maryland Municipal League;
past president. Sons of the American Revolution; Cecil
County Historical Society; active in other charitable or-
ganizations. Married; 3 daughters.

GERARD WM. WITTSTADT. District Court, District
8, 1976—. Born in Baltimore, March 25, 1932.
Attended Mt. St. Joseph's High School; University of
Maryland, A.B., 1954; University of Maryland School
of Law, J.D., 1957. Admitted to the Maryland Bar,
1957. Served in the U.S. Marine Corps. Member, Amer-
ican, Maryland State, and Baltimore County Bar Asso-
ciations. University of Maryland Law Review. Former
assistant attorney general of Maryland and assistant
public defender of Maryland. Married; 5 children.

SYLVANIA W. WOODS. District Court, District 5,
1976—. Born in Fort Gaines, Georgia, August 4, 1927.
Attended public schools in Fort Gaines; Morris Brown
College, Atlanta, B.A., 1949; Atlanta University; Amer-
ican University, J.D., 1960. Admitted to the Maryland
Bar, 1969. Served in the U.S. Navy. Member, Washing-
ton, District of Columbia, and Prince George's County
Bar Associations. Vice-chairman, Prince George's Coun-
ty Democratic Party and regional vice-chairman of the
Maryland State Democratic Party, 1974-1976; judge
advocate of the American Legion, Department of Mary-
land, 1975. Married; 2 children.

CHARLES W. WOODWARD, JR. District Court,
District 6, 1974—. Born in Poolesville, February 28,
1919. Attended Montgomery County public schools;
University of Maryland, A.B., 1941; University of
Maryland School of Law, LL.B., 1948. Served in the
U.S. Army. Member of the Maryland State and Mont-
gomery County Bar Associations. Former trustee, Cli-
ents' Security Trust Fund of the Bar of Maryland.
Member, Maryland House of Delegates, 1955-1963.
Former member. Governor's Commission to Revise the
Annotated Code of Maryland; Governor's Judicial Sala-
ry and Pension Review Board.

WILLIAM B. YATES II. District Court. District 2,
1975—. Administrative Judge. Bom in Cambridge,
January 27, 1916. Attended Cambridge High School;
University of Maryland; University of Baltimore, J.D.
Admitted to the Maryland Bar, 1961. Served in the
U.S. Army; Purple Heart, Bronze Star. Member, Mary-
land State Bar Association; past member, American Bar
Association. Judge, Orphans' Court, Dorchester Coun-
ty, 1958-1961; state's attorney, Dorchester County,
1967-1975. Member, VFW; American Legion; Rotary
Club; Cambridge Yacht Club; Cambridge Country
Club. Married; 2 children.