Evening star., 1954-04-25
Select Group Of 13
Ex-Commissioners
Living in District
By Joseph B. Byrnes

By Joseph B. Byrnes
Living in Washington today
are 13 men with one thing in
common. Each has been a for
mer Commissioner of the Dis
trict.
Should this loosely knit group
ever decide to form a club it
would be an exclusive affair.
Since the inception of a commits
sion form of government on
June IL, 1878, 81 is the sum total
of presidential appointments to
the Districts three-man board.
OF these the 13 survive.
The club roster would be
strictly stag. Only one woman
ever served. She was Miss Mabel
Thorp Boardman, nominated in
September 1920 by President
Wilson. Miss Boardman Nsat
briefly as a commissioner, but
her appointment was never con-
f1rmed. She was blackballed the
following March by an incoming
Republican Congress under Pres
ident Harding.
Colonel Cosby Named in 1908.
Club presidential honors un-
doubtedly go to Col. Spencer
Cosby, of 2025 @ street NV,
dean of the bakers dozen of sur
vivors. Colonel Cosby. in his
id-80s, can look back to his ap-
pointment as a member of the
board on December 21, 1908,
when Washington was little
more than an overgrown village.
Vice presidential choice falls
on Oliver Peck Newman. until
his retirement last July a f1nan-
cial adviser to the Dominican
Republic.
Mr.. Newman served as COM
missioner with Louis Brownlow,
70, likely candidate as secre-
tary. However. the former Joined
the board in 1918, and Mr..
Brownlow was appointed two
wears later.
Both were newspapermen. Mr..
Brownlow was once a reporter
for the Nashville Banner and Mr..
Newman worked here for the
Washington Post.
Because of their youth when
appointed (Nr. Newman was SO
and Mr.. Brownlow. 35) they
were nicknamed boy Scout"
Commissioners.
A vigorous man today. Mr.
Brownlow is a public admins
tration expert and trustee of the
American Clearing House of
Public Administration.
TaliaferrO Next.
Logical selection for treasurer
would be Sidney F. Taliaferro.
He was a commissioner from
1926 until April, 1880. He is also
a retired vice president and
trust officer of Riggs National
Bank.
The ramaining Office, that of
recording secretary, could go to
another newspaperman, John
Russell Young. Not for his
seniority, but for his length of
service on the three-man board.
None can match his tenure.
Mr.. Young was covering the
White House for The Star when
he was named by President
Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1910.
He continued in Office for IL
years.
Among the membership of the
mythical commissioners Club"
is an outstanding selection as
entertainment committee chair
man. He is George E. Allen. wit.
raconteur and former court
jester to the Executive Mansion.
Mr.. Allen became a Commits
sioner in 1893. He remained on
the board until August, 1888.
when he resigned. A year later
he was reappointed and served
10 months before stepping down
for good. He is now associated
with the law firm of Alvord and
Alvord.
Others in Club.
Others claiming the distinc-
ton of having their names on
the rolls of the club include:
w. GWynn Gardiner, an at
torney; Proctor L. Dougherty,
engineer; Guy Mason and F. Jo-
seph Donohue, lawyers. and En-
gineer commissioners. Col. James
Franklin Bell, Brig. Gen. Gordon
R. Young and Brig. Gen. Ber-
nard L. Robinson.
BY and large, the ex-city
fathers are we'll pleased with
incumbentS, Samuel Spencer,
Renah Camalier and the En-
gineer Commissioner Brig. Gen.
Louis Prentiss. However, some
have definite ideas on the way
the District should operate,
Mr.. Gardiner is all for District
reorganization. He feels there
is too much waste in local gov
ernment. Mr.. Brownlow, on the
other hand, feels reorganization
is "all right as far as it goes"
He favors abolition of the
Board of Commissioners. He
would supplant them with an
elected city council which in turn
would appoint a city manager.
Critical of U. S. Share.
Mr.. Dougherty thinks things
haven't changed too much The
Federal lump-sum payment was
too small when l was on the
board 25 years ago and it is still
too small"
Col Bell is for home rule. John