Alan M. Wilner's authorship of the history of the Board of Public Works continues
a fine Maryland tradition of jurist-historians that includes Judge Carroll Bond's His-
tory of the Court of Appeals and Judge Edward Delaplaine's biography of Governor
Thomas Johnson.
When I first read Judge Wilner's manuscript in the summer of 1981, it was im-
mediately clear that it would provide an excellent introduction to the significant col-
lection of archival materials at the Hall of Records relating to the history and work
of the Board. At its October 1981 meeting, the Hall of Records Commission agreed.
With Judge Wilner's assent and full cooperation, the inevitably long editorial process
began shortly thereafter. Dr. Gregory A. Stiverson, the Assistant State Archivist,
assumed overall editorial responsibility for the project. He was ably assisted by our
invaluable and indefatigable manuscript editor, Ann Hofstra Grogg. Beverly Davis,
also a careful editor as well as keyboard operator, patiently prepared the drafts of the
text, footnotes, and appendices on our word processing system so that we could go
immediately to type, once all last-minute changes had been made. Lynne Browne,
Sheila Jennifer, and Douglas P. McElrath read parts or all of the manuscript and
expertly handled the tedious job of expanding and verifying citations. "B" Hayek, of
the Department of General Services, designed the book and its cover, effectively in-
corporating materials from the Board's papers that were photographed by Teresa Foun-
tain and Paul Houston of our photolab staff. Will Culen, also of the Department of
General Services, expeditiously and expertly handled the award of the contract for
printing and publication.
The finding aid to the records of the Board in Appendix B was compiled by Hall
of Records staff members Patricia A. Vanorny and Susan R. Cummings, and provides
easy access for the first time to the voluminous records of the Board. Together, the
history and finding aid present a vastly informative and complete picture of the Board
of Public Works to date.
On behalf of the Hall of Records Commission, I would like to thank Judge Wilner
for permitting the Commission to publish his history. The Board of Public Works itself
expressed the Commission's sentiments well in a resolution passed in December 1981.
The Board noted that Judge Wilner's history "succinctly traces the growing importance
of the Board in every aspect of State Government, but particularly in capital con-
struction and other matters requiring both careful scrutiny and fiscal integrity . . .
(It) is a most useful and readable account of the Board from its beginnings in 1825 to
the present time." The Commission also shares the Board's "great admiration and
appreciation for the invaluable contribution (Judge Wilner) has made to the better
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