Theodore McKeldin

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Theodore R. McKeldin
53rd Governor of Maryland
In office 1951-1959
Preceded by	William Preston Lane, Jr.
Succeeded by	J. Millard Tawes
Born	November 20, 1900(1900-11-20) Baltimore, Maryland
Died	August 10, 1974 (aged 73) Baltimore, Maryland
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Honolulu Manzer
Children	Theodore, Jr. and Clara
Residence	Baltimore, Maryland
Religion	Episcopalian

Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin (November 20, 1900 – August 10, 1974), a member of the United States Republican Party, was the 53^rd Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1951 to 1959.

Theodore McKeldin was born in Baltimore, Maryland, attending Maryland public schools and later graduating from Baltimore City College. He furthered his education by earning his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1925 and with some graduate work at Johns Hopkins University. McKeldin married Honolulu Manzer on October 17, 1924. They had two children, Theodore, Jr. and Clara.

McKeldin challenged the incumbent Mayor of Baltimore Howard W. Jackson in the election of 1939, but was defeated. In the election of 1942, McKeldin again challenged an incumbent, but this time it was the governor of Maryland Herbert R. O'Conor. Again, McKeldin was defeated.

However, McKeldin persisted and was elected mayor of Baltimore in 1943. As mayor, he oversaw the construction of Friendship Airport (now known as the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport). However, Baltimore saw hard times during this period following the Second World War, with the inner city decaying, ghettos forming, and racial prejudice still present in government policy-making. McKeldin ran a second time for Governor in 1946, challenging William Preston Lane, Jr., but was defeated yet again.

McKeldin, for the third time, ran for governor in 1950. He was successful, defeating incumbent William Preston Lane, Jr. by the largest margin in state history up to that point. As governor, McKeldin endeavored to improve the state highway system, namely by establishing the Baltimore Beltway (I-695), the Washington, DC Beltway (I-95/495) and the John Hanson Highway (Route 50). He was a staunch supporter of interstate cooperation, saying once: "I rode by train over several state borders. I carried no passports. No one asked me to identify myself. No one had the right to. This is America."

In 1952 McKeldin was a major figure in the moderate Republicans of the East Coast who were instrumental in gaining the Republican nomination for president for Dwight Eisenhower. Speaking in the stentorian tones that were common for the time, McKeldin delivered the principal nominating speech for the general at the Republican National Convention.

McKeldin retired in 1959 from the governorship and returned to his law practice in Baltimore. In 1963, he returned to public service after again being elected as mayor of Baltimore, focusing on the urban renewal of the Baltimore Inner Harbor. McKeldin served his second term as mayor until 1967, and died on August 10, 1974. He is buried in Greenmount Cemetery.

[edit] Building dedications

• McKeldin Center at Morgan State University. [1]
• McKeldin Library at the University of Maryland, College Park. [2]
• Theodore McKeldin Gymnasium at Bowie State University. [3]
• McKeldin Building at Springfield State Hospital Center.

[edit] Highway dedication

• McKeldin Beltway (formerly the Baltimore Beltway), Interstate 695

[edit] References

• Theodore R. McKeldin biography from the Maryland State Archives. Accessed Oct 25, 2004.
• Papers of Theodore Roosevelt McKeldin, University of Maryland Libraries.