Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

Paul S. Sarbanes (1933-2020)
MSA SC 3520-2169

Biography:

Born in Salisbury, Maryland, February 3, 1933.  Attended public schools of Salisbury; Wicomico Senior High School; Princeton University, A.B., magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, 1954; Rhodes Scholar at Balliol College, Oxford University, first class B.A., honors in School of Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, 1957; Harvard University School of Law, LL.B., cum laude, 1960.  Married to Christine Dunbar; three children, including John P. Sarbanes. Died December 6, 2020, in Baltimore, Maryland.

General Assembly:
Maryland House of Delegates, Legislative District 2 (D), Baltimore City, 1967-71.  Member, Judiciary Committee, 1967; Ways and Means Committee, 1968-71.  Vice-Chair, Baltimore City Delegation, 1968.

Private Career and Other Public Service:
Member of U.S. Senate, January 4, 1977 to January 3, 2007. Member, Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, 1977-2007 (ranking minority member, 2003-07; chair, 2001-02). Member, Foreign Relations Committee, 1977-2007 (subcommittee on near eastern & south asian affairs, 1977-2007; subcommittee on european affairs, 1981-2007; subcommittee on african affairs, 1997-2007; subcommittee on international economic policy, export & trade promotion, 1977-2007). Member, Committee on the Budget, 1993-2007; Joint Economic Committee, 1995-2007. Chair, Maryland Congressional Delegation.

Member, Federal Government Service Task Force, 1981-82; Bainbridge Re-Use Advisory Committee, 1996-97; Advisory Board, Institute for Public Affairs and Civic Engagement, Salisbury University, 2002-date unknown. Vice-Chair, Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission, 2009-date unknown. Board of Trustees, and Board of Directors, Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore.

Member, U.S. House of Representatives, 1971-77 (representing 4th Congressional District, 1971-73, & 3rd Congressional District, 1973-77). Member, Judiciary Committee; Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee; Select Committee on House Reorganization.

Law clerk to Judge Morris A. Soper, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1960-61. Attorney. Associate, Piper & Marbury, 1961-62; Venable, Baetjer and Howard, 1965-70. Member, Maryland State Bar Association. Delegate, Democratic Party National Convention, 1976, 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004. International Advisory Board, Walters Art Museum. Legislator of the Year, Congressional Fire Services Institute, 1998. Congressional Recognition Award, International Association of Fire Fighters, 1999. Friend of Education Award, Maryland State Teachers Association, 2000. John V. Kabler Memorial Award, Maryland League of Conservation Voters, 2002. Paul H. Douglas Ethics in Government Award, University of Illinois, 2003. Rolfe Award for Extrordinary Impact on Policy in Economics, Business, and Finance, Women's Economic Roundtable, New York, 2003. Inducted into American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2004. Cox, Richardson, Coleman Award, Harvard University Law School, 2004. Champion of Science Award, Science Coalition, 2004. Advocacy Award, Easter Seals Greater Washington-Baltimore Region, 2004. Thomas Kennedy Award, House of Delegates, 2005. Restore America Hero Award, National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2005. Profile in Stewardship Award, Scenic Rivers Land Trust, 2006. Outstanding achievement in greenways preservation award, Kodak American Greenways Awards (Eastman Kodak, National Geographic Society, & The Conservation Fund), 2006. Reginald V. Truitt Environmental Award, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, 2007. Foreign Language Advocacy Award, Northeast Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, 2007. Public Service Champion of the Chesapeake, Chesapeake Conservancy, 2016.

Honors and Awards

Sidney Hollander Award of Distinction from the Maryland Chapter of the American Jewish Congress, September 16, 1979.

Honorary J.D from University of Maryland, May 16, 1981.

Friend of Education Award from the Maryland State Teachers Association, 2000

John V. Kabler Memorial Award from the Maryland League of Conservatino Voters, 2002

Paul H. Douglass Ethics in Government Award from the University of Illinois, 2003

"Champion of Science," from the Science Coalition, 2004.

Thomas Kennedy Award, 2005.

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