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Albert Ritchie
Albert Cabell Ritchie (August 29, 1876 – February 24, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he was the 49th governor of Maryland from 1920 to 1935. Ritchie was a conservative who campaigned for, but did not win, the presidential nomination in both 1924 and 1932. To date, Ritchie is the state's longest-serving governor, with almost 15 years of service (14 years, 11 months, and 27 days) and a record four terms. Ritchie has the eighth-longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. history at 5,474 days.
Albert Ritchie was born on August 29, 1876, in Richmond, Virginia, to relatively distinguished parents. His middle name, Cabell, was from his mother's family. His father, Albert, had served as a member of the Maryland Constitutional Convention in 1867, as a professor of law at the University of Maryland, as city solicitor of Baltimore, Maryland, and as a judge for the Supreme Bench of Baltimore. His mother, Elizabeth Caskie Cabell, was a granddaughter of William H. Cabell, a governor of Virginia, and great niece of Joseph Cabell, a close associate of Thomas Jefferson.
Ritchie moved to Baltimore with his family shortly after his birth and received his early education from private schools including the Carey School for Boys, which later became known as the Boys' Latin School. He received a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1896, and his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1898. He entered into practice with the firm of Steele, Semmes, Carey and Bond in 1900, and in 1903 was appointed assistant city solicitor of Baltimore. The same year, he formed his own law practice with Stuart S. Janney. Ritchie continued to serve as solicitor until 1910, and continued to practice law with Janney until 1919. In 1907, Ritchie was appointed as a professor of law at the University of Maryland School of Law.
In 1907, Ritchie married Elizabeth Catherine Baker of Catonsville, Maryland. However, in June 1916, Baker filed for divorce under the charge of abandonment, since Ritchie had left her to live with his mother in 1910. He did not challenge her claim, and the divorce was finalized soon thereafter. Ritchie never remarried, nor did he have any children.
On July 1, 1910, Ritchie was appointed as people's counsel to the Public Service Commission of Baltimore. He garnered much attention for fighting to lower gas and electricity prices for the people of Baltimore that resulted in annual savings of $500,000. Ritchie resigned on February 16, 1913, to return to his law practice, where he took up a case against a local utility company for producing inferior quality gas. The Public Service Commission sided with Ritchie on the issue, and the result was further savings of $200,000 annually for the residents of Baltimore.
Ritchie's actions did not go unnoticed, and he was nominated to be Attorney General of Maryland in 1915, a position he served in from December 20, 1915, to December 20, 1919. In the primary election, Ritchie defeated challenger William Milnes Maloy, who would later challenge him for governor, by 20,000 votes. In the general election, Ritchie defeated his Republican rival, Albert Doub, by 25,000 votes. As attorney general, Ritchie economized the state government by having the state law department assume the legal activities of nearly every department, with the exception of the Public Service Commission, thus eliminating the need for other departments to hire outside legal counsel.
On June 3, 1918, Ritchie took a leave of absence as attorney general to serve on the War Industries Board as general counsel. Established as a result of World War I, the War Industries Board was one of the most influential of all the wartime organizations established by the government. While on the board, Ritchie became a good friend of Bernard Baruch, the chairman of the board, and a man who would later support Ritchie's presidential aspirations. The board was dissolved in December 1918, and Ritchie returned to his position as attorney general.
During the gubernatorial election of 1919, Ritchie made his interest known and quickly gained support from the state Democrats. He went unopposed on the primary ticket, but the general election proved to be considerably more challenging and proved to be one of the closest elections in state history.
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Albert Ritchie
Albert Cabell Ritchie (August 29, 1876 – February 24, 1936) was an American lawyer and politician. A Democrat, he was the 49th governor of Maryland from 1920 to 1935. Ritchie was a conservative who campaigned for, but did not win, the presidential nomination in both 1924 and 1932. To date, Ritchie is the state's longest-serving governor, with almost 15 years of service (14 years, 11 months, and 27 days) and a record four terms. Ritchie has the eighth-longest gubernatorial tenure in post-Constitutional U.S. history at 5,474 days.
Albert Ritchie was born on August 29, 1876, in Richmond, Virginia, to relatively distinguished parents. His middle name, Cabell, was from his mother's family. His father, Albert, had served as a member of the Maryland Constitutional Convention in 1867, as a professor of law at the University of Maryland, as city solicitor of Baltimore, Maryland, and as a judge for the Supreme Bench of Baltimore. His mother, Elizabeth Caskie Cabell, was a granddaughter of William H. Cabell, a governor of Virginia, and great niece of Joseph Cabell, a close associate of Thomas Jefferson.
Ritchie moved to Baltimore with his family shortly after his birth and received his early education from private schools including the Carey School for Boys, which later became known as the Boys' Latin School. He received a bachelor's degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1896, and his law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1898. He entered into practice with the firm of Steele, Semmes, Carey and Bond in 1900, and in 1903 was appointed assistant city solicitor of Baltimore. The same year, he formed his own law practice with Stuart S. Janney. Ritchie continued to serve as solicitor until 1910, and continued to practice law with Janney until 1919. In 1907, Ritchie was appointed as a professor of law at the University of Maryland School of Law.
In 1907, Ritchie married Elizabeth Catherine Baker of Catonsville, Maryland. However, in June 1916, Baker filed for divorce under the charge of abandonment, since Ritchie had left her to live with his mother in 1910. He did not challenge her claim, and the divorce was finalized soon thereafter. Ritchie never remarried, nor did he have any children.
On July 1, 1910, Ritchie was appointed as people's counsel to the Public Service Commission of Baltimore. He garnered much attention for fighting to lower gas and electricity prices for the people of Baltimore that resulted in annual savings of $500,000. Ritchie resigned on February 16, 1913, to return to his law practice, where he took up a case against a local utility company for producing inferior quality gas. The Public Service Commission sided with Ritchie on the issue, and the result was further savings of $200,000 annually for the residents of Baltimore.
Ritchie's actions did not go unnoticed, and he was nominated to be Attorney General of Maryland in 1915, a position he served in from December 20, 1915, to December 20, 1919. In the primary election, Ritchie defeated challenger William Milnes Maloy, who would later challenge him for governor, by 20,000 votes. In the general election, Ritchie defeated his Republican rival, Albert Doub, by 25,000 votes. As attorney general, Ritchie economized the state government by having the state law department assume the legal activities of nearly every department, with the exception of the Public Service Commission, thus eliminating the need for other departments to hire outside legal counsel.
On June 3, 1918, Ritchie took a leave of absence as attorney general to serve on the War Industries Board as general counsel. Established as a result of World War I, the War Industries Board was one of the most influential of all the wartime organizations established by the government. While on the board, Ritchie became a good friend of Bernard Baruch, the chairman of the board, and a man who would later support Ritchie's presidential aspirations. The board was dissolved in December 1918, and Ritchie returned to his position as attorney general.
During the gubernatorial election of 1919, Ritchie made his interest known and quickly gained support from the state Democrats. He went unopposed on the primary ticket, but the general election proved to be considerably more challenging and proved to be one of the closest elections in state history.