Pete Rawlings
Encyclopedia
Howard Peters "Pete" Rawlings (1937 – 2003) was an American politician who was the first African American
to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates
. Rawlings was one of three delegates serving the 40th legislative district, which lies in the central, northwest section of Baltimore City.
on March 17, 1937 to Howard Toussaint and Beatrice Peters Rawlings. His father worked as a custodian in a department store and then for U.S. Postal Service. Rawlings and his six brothers and sisters grew up in public housing, he graduated from Douglass High School
, one of the three schools African Americans were allowed to attend prior to the Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education
. He earned a B.S.
in mathematics from Morgan State College
, an M.S.
in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
, and completed Ph.D.
coursework at the University of Maryland
.
Delegate Rawlings was a member of Maryland's House of Delegates from January 10, 1979 until his death on November 14, 2003. He was appointed chairman of the Appropriations Committee in 1992. In his years as chairman, Delegate Rawlings developed a reputation for integrity, dedication to his city, and a detailed knowledge of the state budget. He was in the forefront of reforming inner-city public schools, including requiring accountability from Baltimore school officials for lack of educational progress, waste of state funds, and allegations of fraud in spending those funds. He co-sponsored legislation that banned racial profiling in Maryland and fought against Maryland Lottery
drawings expanding to Sundays. He also played an instrumental role in securing funding for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.
In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Delegate Rawlings sat on various boards and taskforces including the Maryland Education Coalition, the Maryland Historical Society, the Maryland Low Income Housing Coalition, Governor's Task Force to Reform the State Personnel Management System, the Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships and the Task Force to Study the Governance, Coordination, and Funding of the University System of Maryland.
, Baltimore's three-term mayor, decided not to seek re-election, Rawlings started a search for Baltimore's next mayor. At first he tried to encouracge NAACP president Kweisi Mfume
to run, but Mfume declined. He then threw his support behind Baltimore City Council
member Martin O'Malley
. It was a risky choice because O'Malley, who is white, was running against two African-American males in a city that was and still is majority African-American, and Rawlings himself was an African-American.
Delegate Rawlings succumbed to cancer on November 14, 2003. Two days after his death, the Baltimore Sun ran an editorial entitled "Pete" which included this quote: "With the death of Del. Howard P. "Pete" Rawlings, Maryland lost an extraordinarily gifted leader and one of the most accomplished politicians of his era - known for both a tight fist and a caring heart." During the first legislative session after his death, Delegate Rawlings was recognized with the First Citizen Award of the Maryland Senate. The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore
and the Howard P. Rawlings Residence and Dining Hall at Morgan State University
have been named in his honor.
"A politician worries about the next election. A true statesman worries about the next generation, and children yet unborn, and that was Pete Rawlings."
-Congressman Elijah Cummings
His daughter, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, assumed the office of Mayor of Baltimore on February 4, 2010, following the resignation of Mayor Sheila Dixon
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to chair the powerful Appropriations Committee in the Maryland House of Delegates
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
. Rawlings was one of three delegates serving the 40th legislative district, which lies in the central, northwest section of Baltimore City.
Background
Delegate Rawlings was born in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
on March 17, 1937 to Howard Toussaint and Beatrice Peters Rawlings. His father worked as a custodian in a department store and then for U.S. Postal Service. Rawlings and his six brothers and sisters grew up in public housing, he graduated from Douglass High School
Frederick Douglass Senior High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Frederick Douglass High School known locally as Douglass is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Established in 1883 as the Colored High and Training School, Douglass is the second oldest historically integrated public high school in the United States...
, one of the three schools African Americans were allowed to attend prior to the Supreme Court Decision in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
. He earned a B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in mathematics from Morgan State College
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
, an M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
, and completed Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
coursework at the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
.
In the Legislature
Maryland Lottery
The Maryland Lottery is an independent agency of the Maryland government. Its games include Mega Millions, Powerball, Multi-Match, Keno, Bonus Match 5, and numerous scratch tickets. The Maryland Lottery is headquartered in Suite 330 at 1800 Washington Boulevard, in Montgomery Business Park,...
drawings expanding to Sundays. He also played an instrumental role in securing funding for the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture.
Legislative notes
- voted for electric deregulationMaryland Electric DeregulationMaryland Electric Deregulation is the result of a bill passed in 1999 by the Maryland General Assembly. This bill changed the entire face of the Maryland utility industry.The past several years have seen a flurry of changes in the energy industry in Maryland...
in 1999 (HB703) - voted for income tax reduction in 1998 (SB750)
In addition to his legislative responsibilities, Delegate Rawlings sat on various boards and taskforces including the Maryland Education Coalition, the Maryland Historical Society, the Maryland Low Income Housing Coalition, Governor's Task Force to Reform the State Personnel Management System, the Task Force on Education Funding Equity, Accountability, and Partnerships and the Task Force to Study the Governance, Coordination, and Funding of the University System of Maryland.
Political leader
In 1999, after Kurt SchmokeKurt Schmoke
Kurt Lidell Schmoke is the Dean of the Howard University School of Law and a former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. The son of Murray and Irene B. Reid , he attended the public schools of Baltimore...
, Baltimore's three-term mayor, decided not to seek re-election, Rawlings started a search for Baltimore's next mayor. At first he tried to encouracge NAACP president Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume is the former President/CEO of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , as well as a five-term Democratic Congressman from Maryland's 7th congressional district, serving in the 100th through 104th Congress...
to run, but Mfume declined. He then threw his support behind Baltimore City Council
Baltimore City Council
The Baltimore City Council is the legislative branch that governs the City of Baltimore and its nearly 700,000 citizens. Baltimore has fourteen single-member City Council districts and representatives are elected for a four-year term. To qualify for a position on the Council, a person must be...
member Martin O'Malley
Martin O'Malley
Martin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007. He is currently the chairman of the Democratic Governors Association.-Early life, education and career:O'Malley...
. It was a risky choice because O'Malley, who is white, was running against two African-American males in a city that was and still is majority African-American, and Rawlings himself was an African-American.
Legacy
Less than a month before his death, Rawlings was named the national education Policy Leader of the Year by the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE). At the award ceremony in Baltimore, Brenda Welburn, NASBE Executive Director said "Delegate Rawlings has been a long-time champion of expanding educational opportunities and access for all of Maryland's students. He has also been in the national forefront of insisting upon greater accountability from our education system, both of teacher performance and student achievement, as well as focusing on closing the achievement gap among minority students. In demanding resources for results, his overriding concern has always been focused on best helping students succeed".Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore
The Howard Peters Rawlings Conservatory and Botanic Gardens of Baltimore, often known as the Baltimore Conservatory, is a historic conservatory and botanical garden located in Druid Hill Park at 3100 Swann Drive, Baltimore, Maryland. The conservatory is open daily except Mondays.Designed by George A...
and the Howard P. Rawlings Residence and Dining Hall at Morgan State University
Morgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
have been named in his honor.
"A politician worries about the next election. A true statesman worries about the next generation, and children yet unborn, and that was Pete Rawlings."
-Congressman Elijah Cummings
Elijah Cummings
Elijah Eugene Cummings is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes just over half of Baltimore City, as well as most of Howard County...
His daughter, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, assumed the office of Mayor of Baltimore on February 4, 2010, following the resignation of Mayor Sheila Dixon
Sheila Dixon
Sheila Ann Dixon served as the forty-eighth Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland. When former Mayor Martin O'Malley was sworn in as Governor on January 17, 2007, Dixon, a Democrat, became mayor and served out the remaining year of O'Malley's term. In November 2007, she was elected mayor...
.