principal departments of State government. Due to Ms. Veronis's diligent study of the Code, Education
has now been moved from its former position as an independent agency to its rightful place as one of
Maryland's fourteen principal departments.

The 1984 session of the General Assembly adopted the Ecphora quadricostata (Say), an extinct snail, as
the official state fossil shell. We are grateful to Raye N. Germon of Gaithersburg for supplying
photographs of this rare fossil, and to Caria Hazard of K.BH Graphics in Baltimore for the sketch of the
fossil that appears in the State Symbols section of the book. The original drawing of Thomas Point
Lighthouse, which appears on the cover of the volume, was drawn by Allen Booked of Bookoff/Yoor
Studios in Baltimore. Finally, the organizational charts that appear throughout the volume, and the new
chart illustrating how a bill becomes a law, were executed by Severn Graphics of Glen Burnie under the
supervision of Kim Marsh.

The cover design of the book, which is notably different in appearance from former editions, was
created by Carleton "B" Hayek of the Printing and Publication Division, Department of General
Services. We asked for a design that would make the Maryland Manual look less "institutional," and
thereby, perhaps, make it more palatable to the general reader. "B" Hayek proceeded, with his usual
alacrity and skill, to design a cover that achieved our goal with taste and style. Will Culen, of the Division
of Printing and Publication, handled the specifications and bidding for the book in his usual efficient,
professional manner. Until 1 July 1984, the State Archives was part of the Department of General
Services, and "B" Hayek and Will Culen were our fellow departmental employees. Now that we are an
independent agency, we appreciate even more the creative resources and technical expertise these two
men daily provide to the agencies of state government.

We could not have produced this book without the invaluable assistance of several interns and part-
time contractual assistants who worked on various aspects of the project. The extent of the editorial work
of Linda Eileen Parris is acknowledged on the title page. Beverly Davis Valcovic, who was responsible for
maintaining and updating the magnetic data base and for creating new text as required, did a superb job
of managing all aspects of this huge task. In the final stages of work on the book, we were fortunate to
have the services of three very able and conscientious proofreaders, Renee B. Sander, Madeleine Hughes,
and Debbie Mueller, who made last-minute calls and checked page proofs.

Finally, it is impossible to thank by name all of the scores of people throughout the State of Maryland
who contributed to this edition of the Maryland Manual. We extend our deep appreciation to them all.

12 December 1984 Gregory A. Stiverson, Editor