1938 J. Millard Tawes campaign card donated to the Tawes Museum
On September 2, 2000, my wife, Caroline and I traveled to Crisfield, Maryland and attended the 53rd annual Crisfield Crab Derby Labor Day Weekend. After lunch, Caroline and I presented the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum with a framed "1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland Campaign Card"
If memory serves me correctly, the folks at the Tawes Museum had none in their collection and were not aware of the existence of a "1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland Campaign Card."
At the time, attempts to donate another Tawes 1938 campaign card in our possession, to the Maryland State Archives were unsuccessful. Perhaps we should try again?
Delegate Bennett Bozman was very helpful in arranging for Caroline and I being able to make that donation to the museum.
The text of my remarks that afternoon explains things:
It is a pleasure to be in Crisfield today. I'd like to extend my greetings to Mayor Richard Scott, Vice-President Councilwoman Catherine Brown, Councilwoman Carolyn Evans, and Councilman Danny Thompson.
I am Westminster City Councilman Kevin Dayhoff and this is my wife Caroline Babylon.
Westminster is a small town in Carroll County - not unlike Crisfield and not unlike Somerset County. Both are rooted in the traditional values that have made this country great.
It is quite an honor to be here today for the 53rd National Hard Crab Derby and Fair to make this gift to the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum.
I want to particularly thank your Delegate Bennett Bozman (D) for his tireless efforts in helping bring this: 1938 J. Millard Tawes - Democratic Candidate for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland - card back to Governor Tawes' hometown- which spawned his brilliant career of leadership in Maryland.
Indeed, your entire great Delegation to Annapolis was instrumental in bringing this 1938 Tawes campaign card home. We all owe a great debt of thanks to Delegate Norman Conway (D), Delegate Charlie McClenahan (R) Senator Lowell Stoltzfus (R) in addition to Delegate Bennett Bozman (D) for their support in this effort.
On August 13, 1938, the Westminster Riding Club was having it's Fourth Annual Horse and Pony Show. Our Aunt Eleanor Babylon was a founder of the Westminster Riding Club and was the Secretary for the Horse Show.
The Babylon Family has a rich and long history in community leadership. Our great-grandfather served as President of the Westminster City Council in the 1890s and my father-in-law - Caroline's father - served as President of the Westminster City Council for 25 years.
In 1938, Aunt Eleanor Babylon took it upon herself to correspond with a number of officials and leaders throughout the state - soliciting sponsorships for the Horse and Pony Show.
I'm not exactly sure how it is that Aunt Eleanor came upon the idea of writing to Mr. Tawes, but Margaret Lee Tawes graduated from Western Maryland College in Westminster, in 1932. Aunt Eleanor Babylon also attended Western Maryland College in that time frame, which causes one to speculate that they knew each other and were friends. This may have given Aunt Eleanor the idea to contact J. Millard Tawes, who at the time was running his first statewide election campaign.
Mr. Tawes responded with two gracious letters in which he contributed $10.00 towards the Horse and Pony Show. I find this significant and foretelling, as $10 was a good deal of money in the depression in 1938, and Carroll County is quite far away. It speaks directly to the early signs of Governor Tawes' great statewide leadership. One of his letters included this campaign card, which we found in Aunt Eleanor's personal papers several years after her death.
As students of history, Caroline and I immediately understood the value of the card. Our evaluation was heightened by our keen interest in Maryland's Eastern Shore. My brother, in search of the traditional values we grew up with in Carroll County as children, moved to Talbot County - on the water - in 1983. As children, my family traditionally spent its August vacation on the Nanticoke River.
As many of you are quite aware, the Tawes 1938 election campaign for Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland was a pivotal event in Governor Tawes' distinguished career. Earlier, in 1930, at age 36, Governor Tawes had begun his political career when he was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court in Somerset County by narrowly defeating his republican opponent, Harry T. Phoebus by 72 votes. It is interesting that Mr. Phoebus later served Somerset County and the lower Eastern Shore honorably as a State Senator.
Governor Tawes won the 1938 campaign for Comptroller of the State of Maryland by defeating his opponent, William G. Jack by nearly 140,000 votes.
Without further ado, on behalf of myself, my wife Caroline, and the Babylon Family – on behalf of your delegation to Annapolis: Senator Stoltzfus, Delegate Conway, Delegate McClenahan and Delegate Bozman, I present to the Governor J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum, this framed 1938 J. Millard Tawes for Comptroller of the Treasury Maryland Campaign Card.
That day, there was a parade through town. As Caroline and I were talking with Delegate Bozman and Delegate Norman Conway (D), Delegate Charlie McClenahan (R), all representatives of the then-District 38, Somerset, Wicomico & Worcester Counties; the conversation turned to who was going to drive the new pick-up truck in which the three elected officials were going to ride in the parade.
Delegate Bozman turned to me and said, “well Kevin’ll drive.” And that was that. Caroline and I, who, as best as we could remember, had never been to Crisfield before, drove the three elected officials through town in the parade.
Later, Delegates Bozman, Conway and McClanahan, Caroline and I took a trip in Delegate McClanahan’s boat over to the Bayside Inn, in Ewell, on Smith Island.
We had the “Two crab cakes plus all you can eat lunch buffet.” It was $12.95 and delicious.
We later returned home after a wonderful day in Crisfield with memories that will last a lifetime and Delegate Bennett Bozman was instrumental in the occasion.
We have since returned to the lower eastern shore on several occasions. Most recently, on February 25, 2006, Caroline and I made a presentation for the Mar-Va Theater Annual Chicken Dinner meeting on “The economic benefits of the arts in a community.”
Each and every time we have visited the lower eastern shore, we have been greeted with the same hospitality and graciousness.
Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.
E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org
This is a great post! What an interesting story and history. Would love to see more like this! Hope your having a great day and all is well.
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