Happy 100th birthday, William Donald Schaefer.
The man who dominated Baltimore politics for much of the 1970s and 1980s was born in Baltimore on Nov. 2, 1921, and would have turned 100 years old tomorrow, had he lived that long.
To mark the event, the Schaefer Center for Public Policy at the University of Baltimore is organizing a “100th Birthday Anniversary” celebration at the Inner Harbor. It will be held from 3-4 p.m. on Nov. 2 at the William Donald Schaefer statue on the west shore of the Inner Harbor, next to the Baltimore Visitor Center.
Scheduled speakers include Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, Comptroller Peter Franchot, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, and Baltimore City Council President Nick Mosby – four men who currently hold positions that Schaefer once filled. “Join us as we celebrate the 100th Anniversary Birthday of William Donald Schaefer,” the Eventbrite invitation says.
Schaefer also will be remembered during a second anniversary event organized by a group called The Charm’tastic Mile. It’s scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. on Nov. 2 at 101 East Pratt St., near the Inner Harbor. Admirers are invited to honor Schaefer with cards and flowers that will be placed at his statue and greetings on social media with the hashtag #WDSHappy100thBirthday.
As City Council member (1955 to 1967), City Council president (1967 to 1971), and Mayor of Baltimore (1971 to 1987), Schaefer was known as a gruff, hands-on, sometimes zany politician who filled potholes, created a “shadow government” that bypassed municipal spending policies, and tried to make residents prouder of their city after the riots of the late 1960s, with events such as Artscape and Pink Positive Day. “Baltimore is Best!” and “Do It Now!” were his mottos.
Schaefer presided over much of the city’s vaunted Inner Harbor renaissance, adding attractions such as Harborplace, the National Aquarium and the Convention Center. He was also mayor when the Baltimore Bullets moved to Washington in 1973 and the Baltimore Colts moved to Indianapolis in 1984.
Irascible and impatient, “Willie Don” drew criticism for building up the downtown waterfront at the expense of the neighborhoods. In Esquire magazine, Richard Ben Cramer famously called him “MAYOR ANNOYED,” and said he was “the best mayor in America, for a while.”
As governor of Maryland from 1987 to 1995, the lifelong Democrat extended his influence on Maryland politics while continuing to help his hometown, with projects such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the light rail line. He ended his years of public service as Comptroller of Maryland from 1999 to 2007, and ultimately served in served in public office for more than 50 years at the state and local levels. He left $1.4 million to the Baltimore Community Foundation, whose William Donald Schaefer Civic Fund is a permanent endowment that makes grants for neighborhood projects.
Several buildings or places are named after him, including the William Donald Schaefer Building, an office tower at St. Paul and Baltimore streets; the William Donald Schaefer Engineering Building at Morgan State University; William Donald Schaefer Hall at St. Mary’s College of Maryland; William Donald Schaefer Auditorium at Baltimore City College, and Governor William Donald Schaefer International Terminal at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport.
Schaefer died in Catonsville on April 18, 2011, at the age of 89, and is buried at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens near Towson. The Inner Harbor statue of him by Baltimore artist Rodney Carroll was erected in 2009. The bronze figure is set on slabs made of white marble, a reference to the marble steps on Baltimore rowhouses. Their pentagonal shapes are references to several Baltimore landmarks, including Fort McHenry, the World Trade Center and home plate at Oriole Park.
In the statue’s right hand is a depiction of one of the famous “action memos” that Schaefer dashed off whenever he saw something that needed attention. The memo is numbered 11221, for Schaefer’s birthdate, 11-2-21. It reads: “Have you helped someone today? Do It Now. Schaefer.”
In the event of rain, organizers say, the 3 p.m. anniversary celebration will be held at the Maryland Science Center, 601 Light St.
The “Charm’tastic Mile” of Baltimore (Love That 1.3) will be attendance tomorrow honoring the Iconic political legend William Donald Schaefer on what would be his 100th birthday. Schaefer’s legacy to the city & state is like no other and his coining of the Charm City nickname in 1975 is evidence of his continued blue print to the city 10-years after his passing. The “Charm’tastic Mile” (Est 2016) is the evolution of the Charm City nickname. The “Charm’tastic Mile” is the only registered trademarked street in Baltimore history.