Society of Senates Past
Roster

JOHN W. DERR
Republican, District 3, Frederick & Washington Counties

Born in Frederick, Maryland, March 18, 1941.  Attended Frederick High School; University of Maryland, B.S., 1963; The American College, C.L.U. (chartered life underwriter), 1977.  Married; four children, three grandchildren.

General Assembly:
Member of Senate, 1983-99.  Member, Economic and Environmental Affairs Committee, 1983-89; Special Joint Committee on Pensions, 1985-99; Executive Nominations Committee, 1987-94; Tort and Insurance Reform Oversight Committee, 1988-93; Finance Committee, 1989-99; Special Joint Committee on Energy Pricing, 1990-91; Legislative Policy Committee, 1995-99.  Senate Chair, Workers' Compensation Benefit and Insurance Oversight Committee, 1995-99.  Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Protocol. Member, Joint Legislative Task Force on Organ and Tissue Donations, 1997-98.  Chair, Frederick County Delegation, 1995-99.  Minority Whip, 1996-99.

Private Career and Other Public Service:
Served in U.S. Army Reserves, 1963-69.  Insurance agent.  Past President, Frederick Jaycees; named Jaycee International Senator, 1977.  Member, Republican Local Central Committee, Frederick County, 1982-83; Task Force to Study Incentive Awards Program for State Employees, 1990; Task Force on Funding for the Maryland School for the Deaf, 1996; Advisory Committee to Study Funding Mechanisms for the Maryland Insurance Administration, 1997-98.  Delegate, Republican Party National Convention, 1984, 1996.  Past President, Frederick County Heart Association; Frederick Life Underwriters Association; Board of Trustees, Frederick Memorial Hospital.

Personal Comments and Observations:
"Most controversial issue--I would say the abortion 'battle' and the eight-day filibuster we had...A close second would be the Pension Reform bill we passed in 1984...  Most memorable or humorous moment--To me the most memorable was serving in same body with older, distinguished people for whom I had great respect.  People like Smelser, Jim Clark, Peg Schweinhaut, Fred Malkus.  Humorous standout would be Sen. Pres. Melvin Steinberg and all his antics.  My most significant contribution--serving as chairman of Joint Oversight Committee on Worker Compensation for several years."

Compiled March 16, 2000  from the biographical files of the Maryland Manual, ©Maryland State Archives and from materials submitted by Senator Derr dated August 31, 1999.