Thank you FRAN Mumford, Chair, MD Commission for Women and Joan Cadden, President, Women Legislators of MD, and Frances Anne for their leadership in expanding the knowledge of women's history. Fran and Joan, you two do an outstanding job furthering the cause of women. But I know you will understand my special pride even bias for Frances Anne's work.
History can be a very interesting thing.
I am confident that Frances Anne will be remembered as more than my wife, or as First Lady to Maryland. She is a strong and independent woman, who has accomplished many, many things apart from anything relating to me, or my career. Unfortunately, other women in history also have performed great feats, or invented an incredible device, but somehow they end up being remembered for being someone's wife. For example, two weeks ago Martha Ellis Gellhorn died. Many people remember Ms. Gellhorn only as Ernest Hemingway's third wife, even though they were married for only five years, or do not know who she was at all.