Peter G. Angelos (born July 4, 1929 in
Pittsburgh, PennsylvaniaPittsburgh is a city in and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and the second largest city in the state. Its population was 334,563 at the 2000 census; by 2006, it was estimated to have fallen to 312,819. The population of the seven-county metropolitan area is...
), is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
trial lawyer.
Angelos is also the majority owner of the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , the Orioles have played their home games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The "Orioles" name refers to the official state...
, a
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
team in the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
East DivisionThe American League East Division is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions . Four of its five teams are located in the Eastern United States and one in Eastern Canada...
.
Career
Angelos is a graduate of Eastern College of Commerce and Law the
University of Baltimore School of LawUniversity of Baltimore School of Law, or UB Law, is one of the three colleges that make up the University of Baltimore, which is part of the University System of Maryland. UB Law is one of only two law schools in the state of Maryland, the other law school being the University of Maryland School...
. He began work as a criminal defense lawyer following graduation. For most of his legal career Angelos made a living as a lawyer representing Baltimore labor unions and their members in his own private practice, which he founded in 1961. Beginning in the 1980s, Angelos refashioned his firm from criminal law to civil class action suits. In 1982, his wealth and law firm expanded exponentially when he represented a large number of plaintiffs in
asbestos litigationThis article concerns asbestos-related legal and regulatory issues.-Background:In the late 1800s and early 1900s, asbestos was considered an ideal material for use in the construction industry...
and won. He reportedly made over $100 million on this single case. Angelos was also enormously successful in representing the state of Maryland as lead attorney in a suit against
Philip MorrisPhilip Morris USA is the United States tobacco division of Altria Group, Inc. Philip Morris USA brands include Marlboro, Virginia Slims, Merit, Parliament, Alpine, Basic, Cambridge, Bucks, Chesterfield, Collector's Choice, Commander, English Ovals, Lark, L&M, Players and Saratoga.On January 27,...
and suing
WyethWyeth, formerly known as American Home Products , was one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. The company is based in Madison, New Jersey...
, the makers of the diet pill
fen-phenFen-phen was an anti-obesity medication which consisted of two drugs: fenfluramine and phentermine. Fenfluramine, and later, a related drug, dexfenfluramine, was marketed by American Home Products, now known as Wyeth, but were shown to cause potentially fatal pulmonary hypertension and heart valve...
. It was after this that he became a major player in the Baltimore community. Angelos's law firm currently has offices in Baltimore, Philadelphia,
Cumberland, MarylandCumberland is a city in the far western portion of Maryland, United States. It is the county seat of Allegany County, and the primary city of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 21,591...
,
Harrisburg, PennsylvaniaHarrisburg is the capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 48,950, making it the tenth largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, Scranton, Bethlehem, Lancaster, and...
,
Wilmington, DelawareWilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
, and
Knoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007...
.
Politics
A lifelong Democrat, he held a seat on Baltimore City Council from 1959 to 1963. Angelos ran for mayor of Baltimore in 1964 as an independent, but lost with less than 10% of the vote. Three times in the 1960s he unsuccessfully challenged Republican incumbents in the Maryland Legislature. He recently has become involved in politics again, publicly supporting Republican gubernatorial incumbent
Robert EhrlichRobert Leroy "Bob" Ehrlich, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 60
th Governor of Maryland from 2003 to 2007. A Republican, he became governor after defeating Democratic opponent Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, a member of the Kennedy family, 51% to 48% in the 2002 elections...
and criticizing 2006 Democratic candidate, now governor,
Martin O'MalleyMartin Joseph O'Malley is an American Democratic politician who is currently serving as the 61
st Governor of Maryland. Previously, he served as the mayor of Baltimore from 1999 to 2007.-Political development:...
. However, it is speculated that Angelos's support for the Republican is more a business move than a political move, because O'Malley encouraged the move of the
Montreal ExposThe Montreal Expos is the name of a Major League Baseball team that was located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1969 until the end of the 2004 season, when the team was moved to Washington, D.C. and became the Washington Nationals....
to
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C. , formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States, founded on July 16, 1790...
, a move which threatened the Orioles monopoly on the Baltimore-Washington market.
Horse racing
Angelos breeds and races
ThoroughbredThe Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word "thoroughbred" is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
horses and in 1998 purchased the 237-acre Ross Valley Farm in Baltimore County.
Baltimore Orioles
In 1993, Angelos led a group of investors which included
Tom ClancyThomas Leo Clancy Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War and his video games. His name is also a brand for similar movie scripts written by ghost writers and many series of...
and
Steve GeppiStephen A. Geppi is a comic book distributor, publisher and former comic store owner. Having established an early chain of comic shops in Baltimore in the mid-late 1970s, he is best known for his distributing business. Geppi founded Diamond Comic Distributors, the largest comic direct distribution...
that purchased Baltimore Orioles for $173 million from
Eli JacobsEli Solomon Jacobs is an American financier and attorney, member of the National Commission for the Review of the National Reconnaissance Office and the former owner of the Baltimore Orioles from 1989 to 1993.-Rise to success:...
. His official titles with the club are Chairman of the Board and
Chief Executive OfficerA chief executive officer or chief executive is one of the highest-ranking corporate officers or administrators in charge of total management...
.
In May of 2009, A
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States. It was the first magazine with circulation over one...
article reviewing owners of
Major League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of play in North American professional baseball. Specifically, Major League Baseball refers to the organization that operates the National League and the American League, by means of a joint organizational structure that has developed gradually between...
franchises rated Angelos as one of the five worst owners in the United States. The article notes that the methodology "was not scientific" and "weighing heavily in the decision was the team's success or failure on the field."
Two weeks later,
Brady AndersonBrady Kevin Anderson is a former center and left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Boston Red Sox, Baltimore Orioles, and Cleveland Indians.-Early life:...
, a member of the
Baltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , the Orioles have played their home games at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The "Orioles" name refers to the official state...
Hall of Fame, responded in an op-ed to the Baltimore Sun, writing that Angelos deserves to be on a list of the "best owners in baseball."
"Perhaps one day another article will be written attempting to name the best owners in baseball and a little more research will be put forth and Peter Angelos will be on that list, where he rightfully belongs." Anderson cited the Orioles robust payroll, low ticket prices, liberal food policy, model ballpark - to which Angelos refused to sell the naming rights, and recent hiring of GM
Andy MacPhailAndy MacPhail is the president of baseball operations for the Baltimore Orioles. He was the president/CEO of the National League Chicago Cubs from September 9, 1994 until Oct. 1, 2006. He won two World Series championships as general manager of the Minnesota Twins...
- in making the case for Angelos.
Awards
He was named "Marylander of the Year" by the Baltimore Sun in 1988, with a citation that read: "Measured by professional accomplishments and contributions to his city and region, he is the Marylander of this decade."
Angelos was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1996.
He is a generous but shy philanthropist, having contributed millions to civic and community institutions around Maryland. He is the largest individual donor to the University of Baltimore and pledged $5 million to the school in 2008.
http://www.mddailyrecord.com/article.cfm?id=11864&type=UTTM
External links