Advice

I learned much from my parents simply by observing them in their daily lives. But when I started my first job 70 years ago at Schreiber’s Food Market, my father gave me two pieces of advice. I pass them along to you knowing that many of you have put them into practice many times.

If something is worth doing, do it right, do a little more than is expected of you. 

This is particularly important and has brought me many rewards. About four months after I began working for the Department of Labor and Industry, I completed an investigation early and went to Annapolis to visit with friends that I had made when I worked in the Speaker’s office. And who do I bump into but the Deputy Commissioner. After I stammered an explanation, he told me that he was there about a piece of legislation which was stuck on the committee chairman’s desk. I invited him to come with me to the Speaker’s office where my friend, Grace Donald held sway. When I told her our problem, she picked up the phone, called the committee chairman and said, “The Speaker wants this bill on the floor for a vote tomorrow morning.” Guess who the Deputy Commissioner chose as Chief when the position came open!

When Richie finishes a bridge demolition ahead of schedule so that the highway reopens ahead of schedule, who is called for the next bridge demolition? When Rachel comes to work ahead of schedule during a snow storm, what impression does this make on her supervisor? You can probably think of many instances in your experiences where this has occurred. I consider this advice among the best that my father gave to me.

In about five hours we will take off and be in Baltimore before five o’clock. I cannot tell you how excited we are to be seeing many of you in the next five days.

Career Path

It has come to my attention that there has been those in our family who have been ambivalent and uncertain when choosing a major in college and subsequently a career. I believe that most people “fall in” to a career or have one chosen them by their parents. I do not believe that many, at the age of twelve, say, “I want to be a doctor” and become a doctor. I do believe that the newborn whose father is the managing partner in a prestigious law firm will eventually become a member of that law firm. But for the rest of us, we “fall in.”

Larry was at loose ends when his friend, Arthur Lawrence, decided to sell his florist supply business. Larry was ready to “fall in.” When David’s friend, Michael Rombro, began his business supplying single dosage drugs to institutions and needed some to manage it, David “fell in.” Momma and I chose once and “fell in” once. Let me explain.

When I finished my work for a Masters degree in marketing and market research there was a recession and I could not find a suitable job. I knew how to cut meat and with my business education, we borrowed five thousand dollars and purchased the soon to be known Kenmar Food Market. It was a dingy, dark, old-fashioned mom and pop grocery at 238 South Stricker Street. We set to work modernizing the business. We cleaned up the place, purchased a self service refrigerated case and made the store semi self service. Business boomed and before long we had a major portion of the neighborhood business. We paid the loan even though Risa, Larry, Arnold, Marc and Phyllis arrived within the next four years. We purchased the building at 301 South Stricker Street and moved when the lease at 238 expired. We purchased new shelving and fixtures for 301 and when the tenant who lived in the room behind the store moved, we doubled the size of the store. Our sales circular each week drew in even more customers. The store bulged with merchandise, even to the point of hanging some from the ceiling. We purchased a house at 1512 McHenry Street and moved in 1953. We moved to Merville Avenue in 1959. We were busy, productive; life was good and interesting.

Then came the letdown. We had most of the business in the neighborhood. We even went so far as to look to purchase a larger store. But an examination of the records revealed that although the revenue was ten times that of the Kenmar Food Market, the headaches were also tenfold and the net profit was the same. There was no more challenge. I was bored.

Then came Charlie Oberman! Charlie was a detail man for a food broker. His job consisted of visiting food stores and convincing them to buy and feature the food products sold by his employer. As with most salesmen who came into the store, we became friends. Charlie’s brother was a chauffeur and go-fer for Congressman Samuel N. Friedel (D. Md. 5th Congressional District). Congressman Friedel and Delegate Marvin Mandel (D. Md. 5th Legislative District) were members of the Crosstown Democratic Club whose sole purpose was their election and re-election. It was in the early 1960s that Charlie Oberman introduced me to the Crosstown Democratic Club. I was fascinated! When the President, David Kramer was forced to resign because he became a Federal employee forbidden to be and officer of a political organization by the Hatch Act, I became President. Every office seeker came to the Crosstown and I introduced them. When Willy Don first ran for the Baltimore City Council, I introduced him. He later became Baltimore’s Mayor and Maryland’s Governor and Comptroller; William Donald Schaeffer. Benjy Cardin ran for the Maryland Legislature from the 5th District; he is now Senator Benjamin Cardin (D, Md.). I knew them all and they knew me. Pretty heady stuff for a thirty-some year old grocer from Stricker Street!

I asked Speaker Marvin Mandel if I could work during the 1965 Session of the General Assembly and spent the session working as Administrative Assistant to the Speaker. I learned so much about the operation of the Legislature and the State of Maryland. Even though Momma and I continued to operate the Kenmar Food Market, my boredom had vanished. When I decided that I wanted to work for the State of Maryland, Marvin Mandel steered me to Henry Miller, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. And when my job necessitated some legal knowledge, Momma encouraged me to go to law school at night, “Just take a couple of courses.” One course led to another and another and before I knew it, I was sworn in as an attorney in 1976.

It all started with Charlie Oberman; he was my “fall in.”

So do not despair. If it doesn’t come today, some day you will “fall in.”

Life Decisions

It is 1945 and there were some life decisions to be made. There were those of us who had been in the military service for as much as five years. We were in our early to mid-twenties. A grateful government helped us to implement, not make those decisions, with the GI Bill. Four years of college tuition and books plus a monthly stipend were provided to those who wanted a college education. Assistance in purchasing a home was available. Compensation was available for those who wanted to work but could not find a job. Some just wanted just to lay back and do nothing now. All of us wanted to get on with our lives. A chunk of our lives had been spent in the military service and we wanted to make up for that time in a big hurry. My decision was to accept the college tuition and get the degree in as short a period as possible. And while doing this, there was an opportunity to live the college campus life; parties, athletics, etc. I definitely knew that I did not want to return to Pharmacy School. At this age and with my experiences during the past two years, I was able to resist my Father and make my own decision as to my future. Johns Hopkins University was the best college in the Baltimore area and this would allow me to live at home. In 1945, there was no pressure on young adults to “get your own place.” Economics interested me so I enrolled in the School of Business with a major in accounting. This was a wise move in that it gave me the knowledge to make good financial decisions throughout my life.

Few high school graduates at age eighteen are equipped to make decisions affecting their path for the rest of their lives. And this is not a bad thing. Many are pressured by parents and end up changing careers in midlife. Many “fall into something.” I could no find a suitable job in 1949 (we were in the midst of a recession) so we bought the store. My experience working in supermarkets prior to 1942 and my financial education were vital to the success of the store. When I got involved in politics, I “fell into” a job with the State of Maryland which lasted for 25 years. And when I was required to make legal decisions, I took a few law courses which led to a law degree and a member of the Maryland Bar. For some of us, we make that life decision early in life. We know that from childhood, we want to be a doctor or a dentist or whatever. But most of us are guided by circumstance to become what we ultimately become. We “fall into” something. We find a job because we know someone who knows someone who has an uncle who owns a business and is looking for an employee. And it turns out to be our life’s vocation. Think about your present job and your interests. You probably “fell into it” and it may turn out to be your life’s vocation.

I Become A Lawyer

At this point, I would like to ask our children, all thirteen of them, to contribute their stories and not wait until they are eighty-four years old. I am certain that their children would find them interesting.

When Bill Welsh found me in the Speaker’s office in early 1966, he was there to ask that a bill be introduced. Each year, for the past several years, he attempted to enact a law which would give the Division the authority to collect wages for employees who worked and were not paid the wages due. I had become friendly with many members of the Legislature. Among them were Alex Resnick, the Delegate from the 5th District in Baltimore City and Joseph Long, the State Senator from Salisbury on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. With the help of the Speaker’s secretary, Grace Donald and Alex Resnick and Joe Long, the bill was enacted and signed by the Governor. It was assigned to the Employment Standards Service for enforcement. The Chief, Arthur Williams, had no idea how to do this. I was called into the office to devise procedures. I created two forms; one a detailed form which gave a wage-hour investigator all the information needed to investigate and a second form with the bare essentials. The short form was sent was sent to the employer together with a letter. The letter told the employer that a claim had been filed by an employee or ex-employee that he had worked and was not paid the wages due. If the employer agreed that the wages were due, send a check and resolve the matter. If a check was not received within ten days, a wage-hour investigator would be at the employer’s place of business on (date) and (time) to discuss and resolve the claim. The workload of the Service greatly increased. At the time of my retirement in 1990, more than a million dollars was collected annually for employees who had filed claims. I was anxious to get back on the street where I could be back in the store by early afternoon.

When I became Chief in 1969 one of my duties was to interpret the laws assigned to the Service. For example; the Wage Collection Law applied to employees and employers. I was required to decide who was an employee and who was an independent contractor to whom the law did not apply. When I had questions, I would call one of my friends who was a lawyer. I hesitated to do this. When I discussed this with Momma, she suggested that I enroll in Law School and take a few courses until I could make these decisions without the assistance of my lawyer friends. So I enrolled in the Law School at the University of Baltimore. I began by taking two courses twice each week, at night. I left the office on Preston Street at 4:30 and walked over to the University of Baltimore on Charles Street. Momma picked me up at 10:00 o’clock, two evenings each week. At the end of the semester, I took two more courses and then two more courses. Suddenly, in 1975, I had eighty credits, enough to graduate and take the Bar Exam. I was in no hurry: becoming a member of the Bar would not increase my employment status. I took the Bar Exam in 1976 and was sworn in later that year. The swearing in was conducted at the Court of Appeals in Annapolis. Each new lawyer was given two tickets for guests to attend. I took Momma and Amy. After the ceremony, we walked to the State House and the Governor’s Office. Marvin Mandel had become Governor and Grace Donald had become the Governor’s Secretary. Unfortunately Marvin was not there but Grace took Amy into the Governor’s office and Amy sat in the Governor’s Chair behind the Governor’s desk. I showed Grace the Certificate I received and she offered to have it framed. It hangs over my desk on Mansfield Hollow Road.

By 1976, most of the children had moved into their own homes and apartments. My salary was sufficient and we no longer needed the earnings of the Kenmar Food Market. We sold the store and the building at 301 South Stricker Street and a new door opened for Momma.

Restless

Working in the General Assembly during the 1965 session introduced me to a new world. I became restless. The store was boring! There was no challenge. We had come as far as we could go with the store. Larry and Arnold were 15 years old and were a big help in the store. Momma said, “Why don’t you look into a State job?” So I called Marvin Mandel and he sent me to Henry Miller, Commissioner of Labor and Industry. Henry Miller sent me to William R. Welch, Deputy Commissioner. The Division was run by the Deputy Commissioner. The Commissioner came into the office a couple of times during the week. He had a thriving law practice and spent the vast majority of his time there. Bill Welch told me that I had to take a test. So I took the test and scored 105. A veteran got an extra ten points but they deducted five points because I spelled my name wrong; I left out the “d.” On the day before Thanksgiving, 1965, I reported for work at the State Office Complex on Preston Street, mezzanine floor. I was a wage-hour investigator. My duties, among others, were to visit places of business and examine the payroll records to insure that the minimum wage was being paid. The Chief, Arthur Williams was an old State employee who was Chief because he was the oldest Safety inspector and the only one who resided in the Baltimore area. The other three wage-hour investigators worked and lived in Hagerstown, Crisfield and Southern Maryland. The wage-hour investigators did not come into the office. All assignments and reports were sent to the office by mail. This was perfect! I would open the store at seven, Momma would get the children off to school, and come to the store about ten o’clock. I would go out and complete a day’s work by one o’clock and come back to the store. Momma would go home sometimes in the afternoon and I would stay and close the store at seven. Perfect!!!

One Monday afternoon in early 1966, I went to Annapolis to visit my friends, Marvin Mandel’s secretaries in the Speakers office. Who should walk in but Bill Welch, the Deputy Commissioner. “What are you doing here?” he asked. I stammered, “I finished up an audit and it was too late to start another here in Annapolis so I though that I would visit my friends in the Speaker’s Office. Let me introduce you.” To have friends in the Speaker’s office was a big, big thing because all legislation went through the Speaker’s office. When, a few years later, I wanted a bill heard, Grace Donald picked up the phone, called the Chairman of that committee, and said,” Marvin wants this bill heard as soon as possible.” Marvin never even heard of the bill! So I grew ten feet taller in Bill Welch’s estimation. Anyone who had the ear of the secretaries was a definite asset.

Then, in 1968, disaster struck for Arthur Williams and another door was opened for me. Arthur had diabetes and did not take care of himself. He was rushed to the hospital and he never returned. I was made acting Chief and on January I, 1969, became Chief, Employment Standards Service where I remained until June 30, 1990. This posed a problem because it was an 8:30 to 4:30 job. Momma had to come to the store earlier and leave later. I opened the store at seven, Momma came and I went to work. She stayed until I got back. I was late to work often and left early often. The Service now operated on complaints only and was very efficient. So as long as the Deputy Commissioner did not receive complaints from our complainers, I was left alone, especially with my influence in Annapolis. On Saturday, Larry and Arnold would come to the store with me. They would go to services at a store-front shul on Baltimore Street. Larry became 13 years old and when they found out, the next Saturday he was called to the Torah. The first time a boy is called to the Torah, he is Bar Mitzvah. So Larry was Bar Mitzvah in than store-front shul on Baltimore Street. Marc would come to the store with me on Sunday morning. Risa, Phyllis and Amy helped in the house. Everybody helped. They had to!