Maryland State Archives

Secondary Sources:

Carl N. Everstine, General Assembly of Maryland, 1776-1850 (Charlottesville, VA: Michie, 1982), 270-271.

J. Thomas Scharf, History of Maryland from the Earliest Period to the Present Day, Vol. 2 (Hatboro, PA: Tradition Press, 1967), 597.

Frank White, The Governors of Maryland, 1777-1970 (Annapolis, MD: The Hall of Records Commission, 1970), 34.

State of the State and Abbreviated Budget Message of Theodore R. McKeldin, Governor of Maryland, delivered in Annapolis on February 5, 1958

Source: Journal of Proceedings of the House of Delegates of Maryland, February Session, 1958 pp. 69-77.

This is the first governor's message to appear in the journal with the title State of the State address. This title is carried forward from 1960 to the present.

Message to the Legislature by Governor Theodore R. McKeldin, January 7, 1953

Source: Journal of Proceedings of the House of Delegates for Maryland, January Session 1953 pp. 31-42.

This speech uses the term "State of the State" as a subject header within the address itself.

Address of Governor William Preston Lane, Jr. to the General Assembly of Maryland, January 3, 1951

Source: Journal of Proceedings of the House of Delegates of Maryland, January Session 1951 pp. 13-20.

Although not officially called the State of the State address, newspaper coverage of the speech referred oto it as such. - "Governor Lane, who will be succeeded next Wednesday by Republican Theodore R. McKeldin, delivered his final 'State of the State' message at a joint session last night." (Evening Capital, 4 Jan. 1951, p. 11); "The outgoing Governor, Democrat William Preston Lane, Jr., is slated to send down or deliver in person the traditional 'State of the State' message soon after the Assemby convenes. (The Washington Post, 2 Jan. 1951, p. B1)

Message of Governor Albert C. Ritchie to the General Assembly of Maryland of 1922, given in Annapolis on January 4, 1922

Document located in: GOVERNOR (Legislation File) Senate and House messages, 1922 session [MSA S1040-15, 2/28/1/5]

According to journals, this may be the first address that is given in person by the governor rather than sent, in most cases by the Secretary of State.

According to J. Thomas Scharf, "At the opening of Assembly of this year [1796], on the 16th of November, Governor Stone introduced the present custom of sending to the General Assembly a message recommending at the opening of each session, such measures as required their action." (J. Thomas Scharf, History of Maryland from the Earliest Period to the Present Day, Vol. 2 (Hatboro, PA: Tradition Press, 1967), 597.) The Assembly welcomed the messaged and said that "we wish that future governors may follow the laudable example..." (ibid.)

Senate Journal (Nov. 1796 session p. 4/AOMOL vol. 105 p. 4) says:
The president communicates to the senate a letter from his excellency the governor, accompanied with the resignation of the honourable Richard Potts, Esquire, as senator of the United States from the state of Maryland, and also an address from his excellency the governor to both branches of the legislature; which were severally read, referred to the house of delegates, and sent thither by the clerk.
http://aomol.msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000105/html/am105--4.html

House Journal (Nov. 1796 session p. 13/AOMOL vol. 105 p. 72) says:
The clerk of the senate delivers a letter from his excellency the governor of this day, enclosing a letter of resignation from Richard Potts, Esquire, as senator to the United States, and also an address from his excellency the governor, severally endorsed.... ORDERED, That Mr. Key, Mr. Carroll, Mr. John C. Thomas, Mr. Chapman and Mr. Barroll, be a committee to consider and report on the address from his excellency the governor.
http://aomol.msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc2900/sc2908/000001/000105/html/am105--72.html

Text of Stone's address was published in the Maryland Gazette on November 24, 1796 -
http://msa.maryland.gov/megafile/msa/speccol/sc4800/sc4872/001285/html/m1285-0406.html