Thomas Hunter Lowe Explained

Thomas Hunter Lowe
Birth Date:8 January 1928
Birth Place:McDaniel, Talbot County, Maryland, U.S.
Death Place:Easton, Talbot County, Maryland, U.S.
Office2:Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
Term Start1:1969
Term End1:1973
Preceded1:Marvin Mandel
Succeeded1:John Hanson Briscoe
Office1:101 Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates
Term Start2:1959
Term End2:1973
Party:Democratic
Alma Mater:Baltimore City College
Towson State Teachers College
Washington College
University of Maryland Law School

Thomas Hunter Lowe (January 8, 1928 – June 13, 1984) was Judge of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals (1973–1984), Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates (1969–1973), and Delegate to the Maryland General Assembly (1958–1973). The Delegates' Office Building was named for him in 1973.

Biography

Lowe was born in McDaniel, Maryland in 1928[1] to Louise Price and Denton Scott Lowe. He attended Baltimore City College, though his term there was interrupted by World War II. Lowe received special permission to enlist in the Marine Corps to fight in the war, joining his brother, John Vincent Lowe as a U.S. Marine. Thomas served as a phone operator in Pearl Harbor before being discharged following the end of fighting in the Pacific Theater. He returned to City College as a star football player, and despite being offered several athletic scholarships, he chose to attend Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, where he majored in Political Science.

He married fellow student Jane D. Bradley on January 30 of their senior year. The couple moved to Easton, Maryland shortly after graduating and Lowe set up a law practice in Easton, while wife Jane became an elementary school teacher at Mt. Pleasant Elementary. In 1958, Lowe ran for office as a delegate to the General Assembly and won.[2]

Political career

Lowe served as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee in the General Assembly, where he was known as a conservative,[3] before winning the position of Speaker of the House. In 1973, rather than running for national office,[4] [5] Lowe chose instead a position on the Court of Special Appeals—the state's second highest court—offered to him by then governor Marvin Mandel.

Lowe remained on the court until his death on June 13, 1984, of an aortic rupture during a heart attack.

References

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Maryland Manual. 1983.
  2. News: . 68 TO BE NEW TO ASSEMBLY: Turnover Will Be Greatest In Memory Of Leaders . The Sun . 9 November 1958 . 25 .
  3. News: . Bowen . George . Young Lowe Makes Mark As Chairman . The Washington Post . 27 January 1963 . B6 .
  4. News: Three Eye House Race . . 1 January 1964 .
  5. News: . Whiteford . Charles . Lowe, State House Leader, Ponders U.S. Senate Race . The Sun . Baltimore . 24 April 1967 . C20 .