MARYLAND'S NICKNAMES

Maryland is known as both the Old Line State
and the Free State

OLD LINE STATE
According to some historians, Gen George
Washington bestowed the name "Old Line State"
and thereby associated Maryland with its regular
line troops, the Maryland Line, who served
courageously in many Revolutionary War battles

FREE STATE

The nickname "Free State" was created by Hamil
ton Owens, editor of the Baltimore Sun In 1923,
Georgia Congressman William D Upshaw, a firm
supporter of Prohibition, denounced Maryland as a
traitor to the Union for refusing to pass a State
enforcement act Mr Owens thereupon wrote a
mock-serious editorial entitled "The Maryland Free
State," arguing that Maryland should secede from
the Union rather than prohibit the sale of liquor
The irony in the editorial was subtle, and Mr Owens
decided not to print it However, he popularized
the nickname in later editorials

POET LAUREATE OF MARYLAND
Maria B Coker, 1959-1962
Vincent Godfrey Burns, 1962 1979
Lucille Clifton, 1979 1985
Reed Whirtemore, 1985-1988
Linda Pastan, 1991—

In the 18th century, Ebcnezcr Cook, author of
The Sot-weed Factor Or, A Voyage to Maryland
(1708), styled himself Poet Laureate Maryland did
nor have an official poet, however, until 1959 In
that year, the General Assembly authorized the

State Symbols/13

Governor to appoint a citizen of the State as Poet
Laureate of Maryland (Chapter 178, Acts of 1959,
Code State Government Article, sec 13-306)
Since 1979 the incumbent has been appointed to a
three-year term

STATE THEATERS

By Chapter 1003, Acts of 1978, Center Stage in
Baltimore was designated the State Theater of
Maryland By the same act Oiney Theatre in
Montgomery County was designated as the State
Summer Theater of Maryland (Code State Govern
ment Article, sec 13 309)

LEGAL HOLIDAYS

January 1 New Ifear's Day
January 15 Dr Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday
February 12 Lincoln's Birthday
3rd Monday in February Washington's Birthday
March 25 Maryland Day
Friday before Easter Good Friday
May 30 Memorial Day*
July 4 Independence Day
1st Monday in September Labor Day
September 12 Defenders' Day
October 12 Columbus Day
November 11 Veterans' Day
4th Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day
December 25 Christmas Day

Each statewide general election day

Each other day that the President of the United
States or the Governor designates for general ces
sation of business

If a holiday falls on a Sunday the holiday shall be
observed on the next Monday after that date