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Maryland
Gov. Parris N. Glendening
- January 18, 1995 - January 15, 2003
- Democratic
- June 11, 1942
- New York
- Florida State University
- Married three times--Lynne V. Shaw, Frances Anne Hughes, Jennifer Crawford; two children
- NGA Chair
About
PARRIS N. GLENDENING was born in the Bronx, New York, and was educated at Florida State University, where he received a bachelor’s degree in 1964, a master’s degree in 1965, and a doctorate in political science in 1967. Following graduation, he joined the faculty of the University of Maryland, a position he held for 27 years. His textbooks on government and politics have been used in more than 400 colleges. He began public service in 1973 as a city councilman in Hyattsville. He was elected to the Prince George’s County Council in 1974 and twice served as council chair. In 1982 he was elected county executive of Prince George’s County, a post he held for three terms (1982-1994). He was elected governor of Maryland in 1994 and reelected in 1998. As governor, his primary agenda items were to increase the state’s commitment to education, protect the environment, and foster a greater sense of justice, fairness, and inclusion. Governor Glendening’s Smart Growth initiative – aimed at ending sprawl, preserving open space, and reinvigorating established communities – received several prestigious awards, including the American Society of Landscape Architects’ Olmsted Award and the Harvard Innovations in American Government Award. He was also named a “Public Official of the Year” by Governing Magazine, based on the impact of his nationally recognized Smart Growth program. Governor Glendening made quality-of-life issues his top agenda item when he served as chairman of the National Governors Association.