Gavel with nicely turned head and handle. This gavel is from the estate of Maryland Governor Theodore R. McKeldin, from a group of items presented to him in the late 1950s. Presumably it was given to him by a representative of the State of Tennessee. It retains the original presentation stiff paper label, affixed by a string.

McMinnville is a town in Middle Tennessee where the major industries include the manufacture of hardwood flooring, furniture and power woodworking tools. The woodworking school no longer exists, at least not as an independent institution.

Theodore R. McKeldin (1900-1974) had a five-decade political career, including two terms as Mayor of Baltimore (1943-1947, 1963-1967) and two as Governor of Maryland from 1951 to 1959. He was considered a moderate Republican, and was selected to nominate Dwight D. Eisenhower for president at the 1952 Republican Convention. He remains an admired figure in Maryland politics with achievements including governmental reform, major construction of the state highway system, urban renewal in Baltimore and the beginning of redevelopment of the Inner Harbor. He also had a strong commitment to the civil rights movement, which included hosting a Congress for the Racial Equality meeting in 1966.

Paper Label: PRESENTED BY McMINNVILLE WOODWORKING SCHOOL, McMINNVILLE,TENNESSEE. [Verso]: MADE OF TENNESSEE WILD CHERRY.

References:

"Historical Manuscripts: Papers of Theodore R. McKeldin." University Libraries, University of Maryland. 31 October 2001. http://www.lib.umd.edu/ARCV/histmss/OnePagers/mckeldin.html (15 April 2003).