View Full Version : William Donald Schaefer: 1921-2011
BaltimoreTerp
04-18-2011, 07:45 PM
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-md-ob-schaefer-20110418,0,2933937.story
William Donald Schaefer, the dominant political figure of the last half-century of Maryland history, died Monday after a "do-it-now" career that changed the face of Baltimore while bringing a new burst of energy to the city he loved.
I guess he gets to fix all of Heaven's problems, now.
scOtt
04-18-2011, 10:55 PM
Politics aside... as is best... :p WDS got us a new KICK ASS stadium! For this I am eternally thankful!
RIP.:beerchug1:
cwalker3
04-19-2011, 07:38 AM
In all of his years in politics I don't ever remember him being involved in anything illegal. And in today's political world that's an almost impossible achievement. Sure he rattled cages and ruffled feathers but most of the time he was just saying the same things that most people thought but dared not mouth. He was a good man who did great things for the city.
R.I.P Mr. Mayor
JohnD
04-19-2011, 07:47 AM
O'Malley called him impatient with bureaucracy, but patient with the needs of people. I'm not sure you could ask for anything else. I was still pretty young when he was governor, but he was and will always be an icon. Certainly he's one of the all-time characters. He may have stuck around a little too long, but it seemed less because of ego (though there was some involved I'm sure) and more because that's just who he was. I'll take him, or at least his personality and style, at his prime, over most other politicians.
NewMarketSean
04-19-2011, 09:25 AM
Baltimore looks like and is a lot of what it is today because of Schaefer: Inner Harbor, OPACY, light rail, NFL back in Baltimore...
Thanks for your hard work, Mr. Schaefer.
The Wedge
04-19-2011, 01:38 PM
I'd like to think after he got all settled in to the afterlife he went looking for Irsay for some payback.
scOtt
04-19-2011, 01:48 PM
I'd like to think after he got all settled in to the afterlife he went looking for Irsay for some payback.
:laughlol: I'd pay a dollar to see that!
BaltimoreTerp
04-19-2011, 04:34 PM
I'd like to think after he got all settled in to the afterlife he went looking for Irsay for some payback.
Oh HELL yes :laughlol:
Tony-OH
04-19-2011, 04:40 PM
The best thing I can say about Schaefer was for a politician, he was liked by a whole lot of people who consider themselves on the other side of the "aisle." Has to go down as Baltimore's best and certainly most iconic mayor of all time. I still remember him taking a dip with the seals when the National Aquarium opened up. He was a driving force in the inner harbor and revitalization of down town.
Tony-OH
04-19-2011, 04:41 PM
I'd like to think after he got all settled in to the afterlife he went looking for Irsay for some payback.
That was until he found out that bastard was rotting in hell. :D
Sports Guy
04-19-2011, 04:49 PM
Most influential person for Baltimore ever?
weams
04-19-2011, 04:50 PM
That was until he found out that bastard was rotting in hell. :D
Just two hours before he died Monday, a semi-conscious William Donald Schaefer was serenaded by a trumpeter who played "Maryland, My Maryland" over the phone to the longtime Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-schaefer-inner-circle-20110419,0,3898905.story
The Wedge
04-19-2011, 05:51 PM
I think he was talking about Irsay. ;)
And I did say settled in the afterlife. I'm pretty sure God would hook up Willy Don with a day pass to go get some payback.
For awhile there between 2004 and 2006 I went to Stoney Creek Inn quite a bit. On like the second time there, I noticed Schaefer at a table in the back. Turns out he was a regular there.
O-The-Memories
04-19-2011, 09:14 PM
Most influential person for Baltimore ever?
Could be actually. I'd put him behind Poe, Ruth, and Mencken though.
I remember living in Highlandtown and he used to have a hotline directly into his house. Anybody remember the "speak with Schaefer" radio show? My dad called him up and two hours later a pothole was fixed for us. He was truly a man of the people, personality flaws be damned.
Could be actually. I'd put him behind Poe, Ruth, and Mencken though.
I remember living in Highlandtown and he used to have a hotline directly into his house. Anybody remember the "speak with Schaefer" radio show? My dad called him up and two hours later a pothole was fixed for us. He was truly a man of the people, personality flaws be damned.
They may be the most famous associated with Baltimore but not most influential. Poe wasn't there very long. Ruth was only there as a kid and as a kid ball player.
I haven't finished reading this but everyone should check it out when they have some time. This is a 1984 Esquire article about Mayor Schaefer, considered one of the best articles they have ever published: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/mayor-william-donald-schaefer-esquire-profile-5586877
NewMarketSean
04-20-2011, 10:10 AM
Reading the article now. Amazing.
The man did so much for the city. SO MUCH!
Sports Guy
04-20-2011, 10:49 AM
Reading the article now. Amazing.
The man did so much for the city. SO MUCH!
Yea...you can argue that he is the reason the Ravens are here, OPACY is here and he is the reason for the inner harbor revitalization.
NewMarketSean
04-20-2011, 10:57 AM
Yea...you can argue that he is the reason the Ravens are here, OPACY is here and he is the reason for the inner harbor revitalization.
Wouldn't even have to argue about it.
I loved the line from the Esquire article about Schaefer telling the city works people that he saw an abandoned car on a city street but wouldn't tell them where it was. That was used in The Wire, season 4 I think.
Nigel Tufnel
04-20-2011, 11:01 AM
I can't remember - was he able to attend the first game at Camden Yards in 1992? I remember that he was considering not going because he was so unpopular at the time, but I forget how it turned out.
NewMarketSean
04-20-2011, 11:25 AM
How was he unpopular? I do remember he insisted on the Oriole Park at Camden Yards moniker, which had some backlash, but it worked out in the end. People can still call it just Camden Yards if they want.
Nigel Tufnel
04-20-2011, 11:33 AM
How was he unpopular? I do remember he insisted on the Oriole Park at Camden Yards moniker, which had some backlash, but it worked out in the end. People can still call it just Camden Yards if they want.
I don't remember exactly why - there was the Eastern Shore thing, of course - but he didn't attend the final game at Memorial Stadium out of fear of getting booed, and I remember it was uncertain whether he'd attend opening day at OPACY. I always thought he just should have walked out on the field with Boog Powell and Randy Milligan.
I found this Olesker column, which talks about him possibly not attending, but doesn't really say why he was so unpopular.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-03-31/news/1992091085_1_schaefer-new-oriole-oriole-park
EDIT:
Also found this. Looks like he went:
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/1992-04-07/news/1992098084_1_baltimore-orioles-oriole-park-ballpark
Maryland Gov. William Donald Schaefer heard cheers. And boos.
How was he unpopular? I do remember he insisted on the Oriole Park at Camden Yards moniker, which had some backlash, but it worked out in the end. People can still call it just Camden Yards if they want.
He wanted just Camden Yards. OPACY was a compromise with Eli Jacobs.
It was a recession and the state laid off 1500-2000 people.
Calling the Eastern Shore a ****-house was a huge deal. Then after there were protests it came out 8 or 9 months later that he sent Christmas cards to protesters with their pictures enclosed.
TakebackOPACY
04-20-2011, 12:16 PM
How was he unpopular? I do remember he insisted on the Oriole Park at Camden Yards moniker, which had some backlash, but it worked out in the end. People can still call it just Camden Yards if they want.
In 1991, he cut almost half a billion dollars from the state budget and laid off a lot of state employees. Keep in mind the historical timing of 1991 as it involves job security and loyalty to the work force in business and in government. This kind of cut was a new shock. Some of the groups involved, like the state troopers, were loud in protest.
It was also after the November 1990 election that he made his comment about the eastern shore (where they voted for Shepard by a large margin).
cwalker3
04-26-2011, 11:10 AM
I turned on the evening news last night and they were showing the hearse arriving at City Hall. As they were taking the coffin out of the hearse, in the background you could hear a trumpet playing the Colts fight song. That was a nice touch given how hard he tried to keep the Colts from leaving and how much he loved that marching band.
Sports Guy
04-26-2011, 12:43 PM
My parents were sort of friends with Shaeffer...My mom knew Hilda Mae, since they were both nurses. I believe they both attended their wedding and my parents went and ate at the Governors mansion twice.
My mom was telling me a story about how when they were there once, the Colts got brought up and he was calling Irsay every name in the book in front of like 20 people..She said it was hilarious.
Man never minced his words, that's for sure.