Evening star., 1960-07-29
Tribute Paid
To Duckett by
1900 Friends

Outstanding accomplishments
of T. Howard Duckett as a
banker. attorney, and civic
leader of nearby Maryland and
the District of Columbia, we're
honored at a testimonial din
ner attended by some 1900
persons at the Sheraton Park
Hotel last night.
The occasion was the 80th
birthday of Mr.. Duckett who
is board chairman of the $3.50
million Suburban Trust Com
pany. the areas largest sub
urban financial institution.
Not only was Mr.. Duckett's
leadership in development of
Suburban Trust Company and
its predecessor institutions re-
called. His founding activities
| in the Washington Suburban
Sanitary S Commission and
Maryland National Capital
Park and Planning Commission
shared attention. A diStin-
guished career as a lawyer and
president of the Maryland Bar
Association was included.
Perry o. Wilkerson, speaker
of the Maryland House of Dele
gates, led the tribute as master
of ceremonies and dinner chair
man.
Governor Tawes Of Maryland
spoke of Mr.. Duckett as a civic
leader and Robert v. Fleming,
board chairman of Riggs Ma
tional Bank. praised him as a
banker. Roger j. Whiteford,
Washington attorney, reviewed
his legal career, and Lansdale
G. Sasscer. sr., added a personal
tribute.
Career Is Recalled
The commentary on Mr..
Duckett'S life was read by
James L. Gibbons and illus
trated with pictures of Mr..
Duckett's early boyhood, family
background and later aSsocia-
tions.
Mr.. Duckett is a member of
an old Maryland family. Born
near Bowie in Prince Georges
County on July %, 1880, he was
one of nine children. His
father was a distinguished law
yer.
After serving in the Spanish
American War, Mr.. Duckett
was graduated from old Colum-
bian Law College, now Tart of
George Washington Univer-
sity, and Joined his father in
the law firm of Duckett &
Duckett. He married Elizabeth
Dent in 1905 and lived in Bla-
densburg before moving to Hy-
attsville in 1924.
He was the first counsel for
the old Prince Georges Bank
which was founded in 1915 and
this institution later took over
the First National Of Mount
Rainier and the First National
of Hyattsville. The institution
became the Prince Georges
Bank and Trust Company and
Mr. Duckett was elected presi-
dent in 1885.
Suburban National Formed
In 1884 he became a direc-
tor and general counsel for the
Silver Spring National Bank
and this was merged with the
Takoma Park Bank to form
the Suburban National Bank.
In 1851 the Prince Georges
Bank and Trust Company and
Suburban National Bank were
combined to create the Subur-
ban Trust Co. with $50 mil
lion of assets. The total since
has grown to $3.50 million.
Mr.. Duckett served as presis
dent of the Maryland Bankers
Association in 1947. He also
was q founder of the Pruden-
tial Building Association of
Washington in 1929, and has
been a director since then.
He was a member of the
Governors com mittee that
planned the organization of the
Washington Suburban Sanitary
Commission, and was a mem
ber of its original board in
1918. He was its chairman from
1922 to 1899 and its counsel
from 1889 to 1851.
Mr.. Duckett was a member
of the first Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning
Commission when it was Gre
ated in 1927. He served on it
for IA years including eight as
vice chairman.
Golf1ng has been Mr.. Duck
ett's major hobby for years. He
was the first president of the
Manor Country Club at Nor
beck and now is president of
Burning Tree Country Club
where President Eisenhower
often plays. He has been a
member of the University Club
of Washington since 1915 and
was president in 1933-1936. He
helped to organize the College
Park Rotary Club in 1898.
Mr.. Duckett has been chair
man of Prince Georges Indus
trial Development Committee
since its formation in 1856 and
has served on committees of
Maryland Governors in many
fields.
Following the tribute, rep