City and state leaders, including Mayor Sheila Dixon and Gov. Martin O'Malley gathered Monday at Baltimore's Inner Harbor West Shore Garden to take the wrapper of off the William Donald Schaefer Sculputure, a lasting tribute to the city's flamboyant former mayor and governor of the state of Maryland.
Located between the Harborplace Light Street Pavilion and the Baltimore Visitor Center at Light and Conway streets, the seven-foot bronze sculputer was a gift to the city from Willard Hackerman, president and CEO of Whiting-Turner.
Sculpted by renowned artist Rodney Carroll, the statue depicts Gov. Schaefer with one arm held high waving and the other hand holding a memo with Schaefer's popular phrase "get it done now." A specially designed garden provides a picturesque backdrop to the statue which looks out towards the Inner Harbor.
"From this day forward, residents and visitors can see one of Baltimore's biggest cheerleaders, and greatest visionaries � William Donald Schaefer � as he looks over the harbor he brought back to life," says Mayor Dixon. "It serves as fitting tribute to the leadership of a man who made the Inner Harbor one of Baltimore's and, now one the nation's brightest jewels."
"Governor Schaefer's 50 years of service are a remarkable testament to his love and loyalty to the people of Maryland, and to his beloved Baltimore," says Gov. O'Malley. "To simply classify his list of accomplishments as "long" would be akin to referring to the Great Wall of China merely as a 'big fence.' Every time a family enjoys a baseball game at Camden Yards or a weekend stroll by Inner Harbor, it is in some way possible because of his leadership."
Born and raised in Baltimore, William Donald Schaefer attended public schools, received a law degree from the University of Baltimore and served in the United States Army. He joined the Baltimore City Council in 1955 and became city council president in 1967. In 1971, he became the mayor of Baltimore City. He led the city for 16 years and paved the way for the revitalization of the Inner Harbor and the multi-million dollar tourism industry. In 1987, William Donald Schaefer took office as the governor of Maryland and held the position for two terms. In 1999, he returned to government and was elected Maryland's comptroller from 1999 to 2007. In addition, he was involved with many civic and charitable organizations. Now 88, Gov. Schaefer has dedicated his life to public service.
Source: Sheila Dixon, Mayor
Writer: Walaika Haskins