Parris Glendening facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Parris Glendening
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| 59th Governor of Maryland | |
| In office January 18, 1995 – January 15, 2003 |
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| Lieutenant | Kathleen Kennedy Townsend |
| Preceded by | William Donald Schaefer |
| Succeeded by | Bob Ehrlich |
| Chair of the National Governors Association | |
| In office July 11, 2000 – August 7, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Leavitt |
| Succeeded by | John Engler |
| 4th Executive of Prince George's County | |
| In office 1983–1994 |
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| Preceded by | Lawrence Hogan |
| Succeeded by | Wayne K. Curry |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Parris Nelson Glendening
June 11, 1942 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | Lynne Shaw (divorced 1970s) Frances Hughes
(m. 1976; div. 2001)Jennifer Crawford
(m. 2002) |
| Education | Broward College Florida State University (BA, MA, PhD) |
| Signature |  |
Parris Nelson Glendening (born June 11, 1942) is an American politician and teacher. He served as the 59th governor of Maryland from 1995 to 2003. Before that, he was the top leader for Prince George's County, Maryland from 1982 to 1994. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Education
Parris Glendening was born in The Bronx, New York City. He grew up in a Roman Catholic family. Later, his family moved to Florida.
He received a scholarship to attend Broward Community College. He then went to Florida State University. There, he earned a bachelor's degree in 1964. He also got a master's degree in 1965 and a PhD in 1967. He was the youngest person at FSU to get a doctorate in political science. Political science is the study of how governments work.
After finishing school, he became a professor. He taught Government and Politics at the University of Maryland at College Park for 27 years. In 1977, he helped write a book called Pragmatic Federalism.
Starting in Local Politics
Glendening began his public service career in 1973. He was elected as a city councilman in Hyattsville, Maryland. This town is a suburb of Washington, D.C.
In 1974, he was elected to the county council for Prince George's County, Maryland. He served as the council chairman twice. In 1982, he became the county executive of Prince George's County. He was the first county executive in Maryland to be elected for three terms. He served from 1982 to 1994.
Under his leadership, Prince George's County was named an "All America County." This award came from the National Civic League. City and State Magazine also called him the "most valuable county official" in the nation.
Serving as Governor of Maryland
Winning the Elections
Parris Glendening was first elected as governor of Maryland in 1994. He won by a very small number of votes. His opponent was Ellen Sauerbrey from the Republican Party. Sauerbrey challenged the election results. However, a judge ruled against her claim and confirmed Glendening's win.
He was the first Maryland governor from the Washington, D.C., area since 1867. In 1998, Glendening won re-election for his second term. He again defeated Ellen Sauerbrey, this time by a larger margin.
Key Actions as Governor
During his first term, Governor Glendening focused on several areas. These included investing in higher education and protecting the environment. He also worked on tax reform and growing the economy. From 1994 to 1998, he cut or lowered more than 50 state taxes. This included the state personal income tax.
Maryland's job creation improved significantly under his leadership. He worked to make Maryland a leader in biotechnology. He helped bring companies like Human Genome Sciences to the state.
Glendening also played a big role in bringing professional sports teams to Maryland. He helped the Washington Redskins (now Commanders) move to a new stadium in Landover, Maryland. He also helped the Baltimore Ravens (formerly the Cleveland Browns) move to Baltimore. He worked hard to get new stadiums built for these teams.
During his second term, he focused more on environmental issues. He worked to protect the Chesapeake Bay. He also dealt with the problem of too much development in rural areas. Glendening is known for creating the idea of "Smart Growth." This means planning development carefully to protect natural areas.
In 2001, Maryland lawmakers passed a bill he supported. This bill banned discrimination based on a person's sexual orientation. Governor Glendening signed this bill into law.
He also took an important step regarding executions in Maryland. On May 9, 2002, he stopped executions by an executive order. His successor, Robert Ehrlich, later lifted this ban. However, the next governor, Martin O'Malley, brought the ban back. Eventually, Maryland ended the use of capital punishment in 2013.
Glendening could not run for a third term due to state rules. His lieutenant governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, ran to replace him. However, she lost the election to Robert Ehrlich. Many rural voters were unhappy with Glendening's environmental laws. They felt these laws made farming more expensive.
Life After Being Governor
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Parris Glendening left office on January 15, 2003. He mostly stayed out of the public eye. He continued his work supporting "Smart Growth" ideas.
In 2006, he publicly supported Kweisi Mfume for the U.S. Senate. Glendening did not attend the inauguration of Governor Martin O'Malley in 2007. He had a planned speaking event out of town.
Personal Life
Parris Glendening married Jennifer Crawford on January 25, 2002. They had a daughter in August 2002. This was the first time since 1879 that a Maryland governor had a baby born while in office.
Glendening considers University Park, Maryland, his hometown. This town is close to the University of Maryland at College Park campus.
Images for kids
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Parris Glendening's signature
