Charles W. Gilchrist
| Charles W. "Charlie" Gilchrist | |
|---|---|
| Maryland State Senator, District 17 | |
|
In office 1975–1978 | |
| Montgomery County Executive | |
|
In office 1978–1986 | |
| Preceded by | James P. Gleason |
| Succeeded by | Sidney Kramer |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
November 12, 1936 Washington D.C. |
| Died |
June 24, 1999 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Occupation | Attorney, local politician, Episcopal priest |
Charles W. Gilchrist received degrees from Williams College magna cum laude in 1958 and Harvard Law School in 1961 and was admitted into the Maryland Bar in 1962. He was active in many civic and political organizations, including the D.C. Bar Association and the Democratic Central Committee, and served as a Maryland state senator. In 1978 he was elected as County Executive after the retirement of James P. Gleason.[1] He died on June 24, 1999 of pancreatic cancer at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.[2]
Tenure as Montgomery County Executive
Gilchrist took office in 1978 after defeating his Republican opponent, Richmond M. Keeney with a margin of more than 3 to 2 and thus became the first Democrat to be elected county executive in Montgomery.[3]
Gilchrist's administration was marked by housing problems and a sewer moratorium, pressure to control spending, a reorganization of County government to make it more centralized, and controversies over appointments. He was able to hold property tax raises to the level of or below inflation, and survive questions over his appointments, some of which led to the "Liquorgate" scandal, which he also survived. He was able to expand social services while holding down the size of government, and oversaw the opening of the Ride-On bus system, the Laytonsville landfill, and the incinerator at Dickerson, which had been planned during the Gleason administration.
In 1984 he announced his retirement after the 1986 election to devote his life to the Episcopal priesthood.[4] Sidney Kramer, the candidate whom he supported to succeed him, won over his opponent by a 7 to 4 margin despite being relatively unknown.[5]
In memoriam
The Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity in Wheaton, Maryland is named after him. Opened on September 8, 2001, the center provides services to an increasing immigrant population in Montgomery County.[6] On April 21, 2006, the Montgomery County Campus of Johns Hopkins University renamed the main building in honor of Gilchrist citing his role in the creation of the Shady Grove Life Sciences Center where the campus is located.[7]
In 1990, as the associate pastor of St. Margaret's Episcopal Church, Rev. Charles Gilchrist started "Desayuno y Dialogue", a breakfast program for the homeless and poor in the Washington, DC neighborhoods of Dupont Circle, Adams Morgan, Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant. The program was renamed Charlie's Place in 1999 to honor his hard work and commitment to the poor. Charlie's Place continues today, serving breakfast 4 days a week and providing a myriad of aid.
References
Notes
- ↑ Former County Executive Charles W. Gilchrist (1936 – 1999). Maryland State Archives.
- ↑ Claudia Levy. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Jun 26, 1999. pg. B.01
- ↑ Gilchrist Wins Executive Race In Montgomery. By Janis Johnson and Bart Barnes Washington Post Staff Writer. The Washington Post; Nov 8, 1978; pg. A26
- ↑ Transition for Charles Gilchrist. (1986, November 22). The Washington Post, A22. Retrieved December 20, 2008
- ↑ By R.H. Melton Washington Post Staff Writer (1986, November 5). Morella Beats Bainum For 8th District Seat :Morella Bucks Md. Democratic Tide to Take 8th District Congressional Seat. The Washington Post, A31. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
- ↑ Gilchrist Center for Cultural Diversity. Montgomery County, Maryland website. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
- ↑ JHU Honors Montgomery County Visionary. The JHU Gazette, April 24, 2006. Retrieved April 17, 2009.
| Preceded by James P. Gleason |
Montgomery County, Maryland Executive 1978–1986 |
Succeeded by Sidney Kramer |