2018 Investitures of Certified SOBs
Here are the 2018 investitures, in the order they were earned:
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"Theodore R. McKeldin"
Dennis E. Dorsch – February 3, 2018
A native of south Baltimore, Theodore McKeldin graduated from the University of Maryland Law School in 1925 and began his five-decade political career a few years later as an executive secretary to Mayor William Broening of Baltimore. McKeldin would serve two separate terms as Mayor of Baltimore, from 1943-1947 and again from 1963-1967. He also served as the 53rd Governor of Maryland from 1951-1959. Dennis Dorsch wrote speeches for McKeldin during his second go-around as Mayor.
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"Maryland Science Center"
Rachael Lea Leventhal – February 3, 2018
The Maryland Science Center opened in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in 1976 and has since attracted millions of visitors to its exhibits, planetarium, and IMAX Theater. Officially known as the Maryland Academy of Sciences, it can trace its origins back to 1797 and is one of the oldest scientific groups in the country. Rachael Leventhal has fond memories of visits during her childhood and now makes new memories there with her own children.
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"Edgar Allan Poe"
Gary L. Miller – April 4, 2018
Considered by many to be the inventor of the mystery story, Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston (where his actor parents were touring) but claimed Baltimore as his birthplace. Best known for poetry and short stories such as "The Raven" and "The Gold-Bug," he is honored annually when the Mystery Writers of America award their "Edgars" to the best mystery fiction of that year. Also claimed by Richmond, Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, Poe has spent the better part of the last 200 years in Baltimore.
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"Federal Hill"
John E. Pforr – April 4, 2018
Federal Hill got its name for being the site of a celebration by over 4,000 citizens in honor of Maryland’s ratification of the "federal Constitution" in 1788. An observatory built there in 1795 on land originally mined for clay and sand operated for over a century, signaling merchants of the approach of their ships. General Benjamin F. Butler fortified the hill on the evening of May 12, 1861, with cannon pointed toward Baltimore’s central business district. These stayed in place for the remainder of the U.S. Civil War, guaranteeing Baltimore’s loyalty to the Union.
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"Yogi’s Magic Mart"
S. Brent Morris – August 4, 2018
In 1938, Philip T. Thomas opened his first magic shop, Yogi’s Magic Mart, at 215 North Charles Street. After a fire in 1978, the shop moved to 310 N. Charles. Known as the "Mecca for Magicians," the business grew into one of the world's largest magic shops, with mail-order customers in over a dozen countries. In its heyday, magicians such as Harry Blackstone and Doug Henning would visit the store and perform when they played Baltimore. Brent Morris is an avid magician and shopped in the store himself on many occasions.
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"Camden Yards"
Alan Jacobson – August 4, 2018
Oriole Park at Camden Yards opened on April 6, 1992, and ushered in a wave of retro ballparks throughout Major League Baseball. It is generally considered to offer one of the best ballpark experiences in baseball today. Built on the site of the former Camden Yards rail yards, it incorporates the old Camden Station and B & O Warehouse into its design. Alan Jacobson was in the stands for the Orioles' first home game at Memorial Stadium in 1954 and has been present at many more games since then.
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"Laura Lippman"
Jaime N. Mahoney – October 13, 2018
Laura Lippman grew up in the Baltimore suburbs and would later write for The Baltimore Sun, just as her father had done. After twelve years of reporting for The Sun, she became a full-time novelist. Her first novel, Baltimore Blues, was published in 1997 and features P.I. Tess Monaghan, a former Baltimore reporter. There are now a dozen entries in the series. Ms. Lippman is married to David Simon, also a former Sun reporter and the creator of the television series The Wire. Jaime Mahoney, herself a published writer, finds inspiration in Lippman’s journey to becoming a novelist.
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"Owl Bar"
Dennis F. Lynch – October 13, 2018
The Owl Bar was originally known as "The Bar at The Belvedere" when it and the hotel opened in 1903. When Prohibition was the law of the land in the 1920s and '30s, the bar was a notorious Baltimore speakeasy. It was during this time that the owners brought in the owl statues: when the bar was stocked with whiskey, the owl’s eyes would wink to alert patrons. Dennis Lynch has enjoyed a few beverages at this bar while visiting his sister who lived nearby. As a retired Secret Service agent, he enjoys the Owl Bar's roguish charm and the tales of its storied past.