Apr
20
2011

Thoughts on the Passing of William Donald Schaefer

An article by Matt Comments

Monday evening we learned of the passing of William Donald Schaefer.

Some of you are scratching your head right now trying to figure out who this man is. My Baltimore friends will recognize his name as a legend of Baltimore, and Maryland, politics. Schaefer devoted his life to serving the City of Baltimore: first as a City Councilman from 1955-1967, as City Council President (1967-1971), as Mayor (1971-1987), as Governor of Maryland (1987-1995), and finally as Comptroller of the State of Maryland (1999-2007). While Governor and Comptroller may have been solid resume building jobs, Schaefer was best known for his time as Mayor… and for all that he did to serve the city that he loved.

Coming into office in 1971 Baltimore was experiencing urban flight on the heals of particularly nasty race riots in 1968. While most cities were experiencing “white flight” Baltimore was different in that the riots caused the city to hemorrhage middle and upper middle class families of all races as well as the businesses that these families owned. As the outgoing mayor was telling people how miserable the job was, Schaefer dove in head first and began to turn the city around. Dollar Homes, Harborplace, the National Aquarium, and Camden Yards were among more famous contributions to Baltimore.

You may suspect that I have a great deal of respect for the former Mayor (and Governor). I do. While I may not have always agreed with his politics, there is no doubt in my mind that the man loved Baltimore, loved her citizens, and wanted nothing more than to see the city become a greater place to live. I honestly wish that there were more like him in office today.

If you are interested, here are two insights into the life of William Donald Schaefer:

Kevin KAL Kallaugher, former political cartoonist at the Baltimore Sun, shares some stories about his interactions with the Mayor. This is a fun, humorous, but touching piece.
In October of 1984 Esquire Magazine wrote a great piece on William Donald Schaefer, showing just how unique a man he was. This is long, but well worth the read.

Thank you, Mayor Schaefer, for all that you did for the city that I love. Thank you for your tireless passion and devotion for her, and for your belief that the city can be better than it is.

Willie Don, you will be missed.