Archives of Maryland
(Biographical Series)

John T. Willis
MSA SC 3520-12062

Born in Baltimore, Maryland, November 1, 1946. Attended Westminster High School, Westminster, Maryland; Bucknell University, B.A. (economics), cum laude, 1968.  Harvard Law School, J.D., 1971; emphasis on constitutional law.  Married; two children; two grandchildren.

Private Career:

Served in U.S. Army; Judge Advocate General Corps, 1968-71; Defense Appellate Division, 1971-74; Legal Assistance Officer, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, 1974-75. Attorney in private general practice, Westminster, Maryland and Baltimore City, 1975-1990; experience in small business, real estate, zoning and land-use law.  Adjunct professor (business & economics), McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College), 1979-.  Author, Presidential Elections in Maryland (1984).

Public Service:

Secretary of State, 1995-2003. Member, Governor's Executive Council, 1995-2003; Board of State Canvassers, 1995-2003. Chair, Governor's Commission on Maryland Military Monuments,
1995-2003. Member, Maryland Civil War Heritage Commission, 1995-99; Advisory Committee for the Jefferson Patterson Historical Park and Museum, 1995-2003; Advisory Board,
Schaefer Center for Public Policy, University of Baltimore, 1995-2003; Commission to Revise the Election Code, 1996-98; Task Force on Charitable Giving (Maryland Gives!), 1996-2001;
Maryland Historical Trust, 1998-2000; Task Force to Study the History and Legacy of Slavery in Maryland, 1999; Governor's Interagency Council for the Nonprofit Sector, 1999-2003.
Chair, Special Committee on Voting Systems and Election Procedures in Maryland, 2000-01. Chair, Governor's Redistricting Advisory Committee, 2001-02. Chair, Governor's Subcabinet for International Affairs, 2001-03. Chief of Staff to County Executive, Prince George's County, 1990-94. Member, Electoral College, 1992. Member, Democratic State Central Committee, Carroll County, 1982-86. Member, Democratic National Committee, 1987-89, 1995-. Delegate, Democratic Party National Convention, 1988, 1996, 2000. Chair, Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, 1995-2000.

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