Kurt Schmoke
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| Kurt Lidell Schmoke | |
 Schmoke (right) with Congressman Elijah Cummings in 1997 |
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Mayor of Baltimore
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| In office January 10, 1988 – 1999 |
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| Preceded by | Clarence "Du" Burns |
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| Succeeded by | Martin. J. O'Malley |
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| Born | December 1, 1949 Baltimore, Maryland |
| Political party | Democrat |
| Spouse | Dr. Patricia (Locks) |
| Profession | Law School Dean |
| Religion | Christian |
Kurt L. Schmoke (born December 1, 1949) is a Democratic politician and a former mayor of Baltimore, Maryland.
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[edit] High school
Schmoke attended the Baltimore City College, the third oldest high school in the country and the largest high school in the state of Maryland at the time of his graduation in 1967. Schmoke excelled as the quarterback of his high school football team leading it to successive Maryland Scholastic Association championships in 1965 and 1966. A member of City's A-course, Schmoke was elected president of the school's student government in his senior year.
[edit] College and graduate school
After graduating from Yale University (1971), where he was a member of Wolf's Head Society, Schmoke studied as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and graduated from Harvard Law School in 1976.
[edit] Early Career
He then joined the Baltimore law firm of Piper and Marbury and was part of the White House Domestic Policy Staff during the Carter Administration, before returning to Baltimore as Assistant United States Attorney in 1978.
[edit] Elective office
In 1982 Schmoke won his first elected office, becoming Baltimore City State's Attorney, the city's chief prosecutor.
On November 3, 1987, he was elected mayor. As mayor, he became known for his opposition to the "War on Drugs" and his stance in favor of drug decriminalization.
[edit] Life after politics
Since 2003, Schmoke has been the dean of the Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. In 2004, Schmoke was appointed an honorary fellow of Balliol College, Oxford. He is also on the board of Global Rights.
He also appeared in a 2004 episode of the acclaimed HBO series The Wire. The episode, entitled "Middle Ground," featured Schmoke in a bit part as a health commissioner. He acts as an advisor to the fictional mayor after a rogue police major has legalized drugs in a portion of the city. This is a reference to his own feelings on the drug war.
[edit] References
- Kurt Schmoke: Baltimore's First Black Mayor
- Advisory Board of Just Democracy
- New Honorary Fellows at Balliol
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| Preceded by Clarence "Du" Burns |
Mayor of Baltimore 1988–1999 |
Succeeded by Martin J. O'Malley |
| Preceded by Lesley Bush Larry Echohawk Kwaku Ohene-Frempong Bob Lanier Mike Phipps Mike Reid |
Silver Anniversary Awards (NCAA) Class of 1996 Marty Liquori Thomas Lewis Lyons Cliff Meely Kurt Schmoke Joe Theismann Jack Youngblood |
Succeeded by Tommy Casanova Jack Ford David Joyner Edward B. Rust Jr. James Tedisco Herb Washington |
