TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT

interested in the work of the Hall of Records. He was willing
to spare the time for meetings of the Commission, in spite of the
specially busy wartime period in which he served as chief execu-
tive of Maryland. In addition to the demands on his time as a
member of the Commission, Mr. Tawes volunteered many other
services to the Hall of Records. He was our chief counsellor in
financial affairs, he made it possible to transfer the Land
Records of Somerset County to the Hall of Records—the first
Eastern Shore records to come to Annapolis—, and he was tire-
less in his efforts to interest the custodian of local records in the
work of the Hall of Records.

Mr. Barr resigned as of December 31, 1946. Between that
date and April 22, 1947, when a permanent President of the St.
John's College was appointed, there were only six members of
the Commission. Mr. Barr's counsel was sought often by the
Archivist who found in him not only a distinguished historian
and administrator, but a friendly and sympathetic neighbor.

Although he had been in office for only a few months at
the end of the fiscal year, Governor William Preston Lane, Jr.,
had already indicated by his approval of our budget requests and
our proposals for salary changes that his interest in the Hall
of Records is deep and genuine. Mr. James J. Lacy, who suc-
ceeded Mr. Tawes as Comptroller, will undoubtedly prove to be a
strong addition to the Commission, as will Mr. John S. Kieffer,
who became a member on April 22, 1947, when he was appointed
President of the St. John's College.

No meeting of the Commission was held during the year,
but the Archivist availed himself on several occasions of the
counsel of the Chairman, Judge Marbury, and of the Vice-
Committee, which is composed of the Chairman and of the Vice-
Chairman, Dr. Pleasants. In addition, the Archivist sent to each
member of the Commission a copy of his Annual Report, of each
of our other publications, and of reviews of our work.