Clarence W. Blount
Clarence W. Blount | |
---|---|
Member of the Maryland Senate from the 41st district | |
In office January 11, 1971 – January 8, 2003 | |
Succeeded by | Lisa Gladden |
Constituency | Baltimore City |
Personal details | |
Born | April 20, 1921 North Carolina |
Died | April 12, 2003 Baltimore, Maryland | (aged 81)
Resting place | Woodlawn Cemetery 38°53′6″N 76°56′19″W / 38.88500°N 76.93861°W |
Political party | Democratic |
Residence(s) | Baltimore, Maryland |
Occupation | principal, teacher, mentor |
Clarence W. Blount (April 20, 1921 – April 12, 2003) was an
Background
Clarence Blount was born to Lottie and Charles Johnson Blount Sr., in South Creek, North Carolina, and one of four children. As a child, Blount helped his father work on a tobacco plantation.
Blount entered politics in the early 1970s,[1] becoming a member of the Democratic National Committee. He was Delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000.[2]
In the legislature
Blount was elected to the Maryland State Senate in 1970 to represent Maryland 41st district which was and still is entirely in the boundaries of
- Judicial Proceedings Committee, 1971–1974
- Joint Committee on Legislative Ethics, 1972–1974
- Vice-Chair, Budget and Taxation Committee, 1975–1986 (past chair, health, education & human resources subcommittee)
- Member, Executive Nominations Committee, 1975–2003
- Legislative Policy Committee, 1979–2003 (management subcommittee)
- Spending Affordability Committee, 1982–2003
- Joint Budget and Audit Committee, 1983–1997
- Rules Committee, 1983–2003
- Co-Chair, Joint Committee on State Economic Development Initiatives, 1995–1996
- Member, Special Joint Committee on Group Homes, 1995–1996
- Joint Audit Committee, 1997
- Special Study Commission on the Maryland Public Ethics Law, 1998
- Joint Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, 1999–2003
- Senate Chair, Joint Committee on the Port of Baltimore, 2000–2003
- Co-Chair, Senate Committee on Redistricting, 2001–2002
- Member, Special Committee on Gaming, 2001–2003
- Co-Chair, Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer, 2002
In 1984, Blount was elected chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland and served in that capacity until 1986.[3]
Blount played an instrumental role in the state takeover of the Baltimore school system in 1997, delivering a crucial speech before a vote on legislation that put millions of dollars into the school system in return for management reforms and a state role in running the system.[1]
On July 6, 2002, Blount announced that he would not seek re-election in 2002.[4][5]
Boston v. Blount
In 1998, state delegate
In 2022, Maryland state senator Charles E. Sydnor III introduced and passed a bill that would place a referendum on the ballot to amend the state constitution to overturn the Boston v. Blount decision, requiring candidates to "maintain a primary place of abode" in their district for at least six months before the general election.[8]
Legacy
Clarence W. Blount died April 12, 2003, of complications from a stroke; he was 81.[10] Memorial services were held at the Carl J. Murphy Fine Arts Center at Morgan State University, and were moderated by state senator Joan Carter Conway. U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes, U.S. Representatives Ben Cardin and Elijah Cummings, and current and former city, state, and judicial leaders spoke at the memorial service.[11] After his funeral service, Blount was laid to rest in Woodlawn Cemetery.[1] U.S. Representative Elijah Cummings honored Blount in a speech on the House floor on May 1, 2003:[2]
Clarence Blount realized and accepted the truth that our lives do not belong to us alone. He led his life on the principle that he was placed upon this earth to lead others through the same doors to opportunity that he had opened for himself. Clarence Blount was a man whose humility and compassion for others was his greatest strength, an ordinary man called to the extraordinary mission of uplifting other human beings.
— Congressman Elijah Cummings
The Clarence W. Blount Towers on the campus of Morgan State University were named in his honor.[12]
Electoral history
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Clarence W. Blount | 13,722 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Clarence W. Blount | 10,681 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Clarence W. Blount | 15,902 | 100.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Clarence W. Blount | 6,263 | 68.3 | |
Democratic | Frank D. Boston Jr. | 2,719 | 29.7 | |
Democratic | Gregory Truitt | 186 | 2.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Clarence W. Blount | 17,388 | 100.0 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Wilber, Del Quentin (April 20, 2003). "A man of power, grace". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Cummings, Elijah (May 1, 2003). "Honoring Senator Clarence W. Blount". United States Congress. Archived from the original on July 31, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2007.
- ^ a b c d e "Clarence W. Blount, Maryland State Senator". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Dresser, Michael (July 6, 2002). "Blount declares end to a 32-year political career" (PDF). Maryland State Archives. The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Montgomery, Lori (September 9, 2002). "Past, Present at Odds in Race for Md. Senate". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- Maryland Matters. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Francke, Caitlin; Penn, Ivan (August 28, 1998). "Majority leader appeals ruling Blount holds Senate together in crises, says Sen. Hoffman; CAMPAIGN 1998". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Maryland Matters. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Francke, Caitlin (October 7, 1998). "No need to sleep in one's district Blount's 'residence' defined by his work, Appeals Court says". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ "Md. Sen. Clarence W. Blount". The Washington Post. April 14, 2003. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ Nitkin, David (April 19, 2003). "Colleagues remember Blount's quiet strength". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ "Blount Residential Towers and Rawlings Hall". Morgan State University. Archived from the original on August 16, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2007.
- ^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "1990 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "1994 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "1998 Gubernatorial Primary Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.
- ^ "1998 Gubernatorial General Election Results". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections.