8 THIRTY-THIRD ANNUAL REPORT

President of The Johns Hopkins University:

DR. LINCOLN GORDON .......................... Baltimore

President of the Peabody Institute:

JOHN M. NELSON III............................ Baltimore

There was no meeting of the Hall of Records Commission during
the fiscal year for various reasons. A few months after the Legislature
adjourned March 28, 1967, the Constitutional Convention went into
session and continued in session until the Legislature met in January
1968. Thereafter there was held a special election on the adoption of the
new constitution and soon afterward the State was more than usually
involved in pre-presidential politics culminating in the nomination of
Governor Agnew for the Vice Presidency by the Republican Convention
in August. Since the Governor is, for obvious reasons, the most impor-
tant member of the Commission and since he was unavailable, no effort
was made to schedule a meeting.

At its last meeting the Commission was much concerned over the
archives of the State of Maryland in the custody of the Librarian of
Congress. Governor Tawes was asked to request their return—the
Archivist had failed in the effort. As a result of Mr. Tawes intercession,
every member of the Maryland delegation to Congress introduced a
Resolution asking that these archives be returned. The Honorable
Clarence D. Long was most energetic in his efforts to have a hearing
before the House subcommittee on House Administration. His Resolu-
tion (HJ. Res. 207) failed as did the others. Senator William S. James,
President of the Maryland Senate, introduced a joint resolution in the
Maryland Senate calling on the Librarian of Congress to return these
archives to the State of Maryland. This resolution was passed without
a dissenting vote (Senate Joint Resolution No. 7). This action on the
part of the Maryland Legislature was ignored by the Librarian of
Congress.

At the same time, the Honorable Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.,
member of Congress, from the 6th district of Maryland, made an effort
to intercede personally with Dr. Mumford, Librarian of Congress,
without better success. It is disheartening for the Archivist to be con-
fronted by an individual who continues to deny what is obviously the
truth about these records. I do not think that reason, logic or persuasion
will ever shake his determination to keep these records, although they
are obviously Maryland's.