Thomas J. S. Waxter, Jr. Papers

Thomas Jacob Shryock Waxter Jr. (1898-1962) was a leader in public welfare in Maryland for over three decades. He received his law degree from Yale and held several major positions in the Baltimore area. Judge Waxter was Chief Magistrate of the Baltimore City Juvenile Court System, 1929-1935, where he prioritized modernization and social reforms. He was appointed first Director of the Baltimore Department of Public Welfare and held the position for 18 years between 1935 and 1953. In this role he instituted Old Age Assistance, initiated the Area Project #1 to help Baltimore City neighborhoods, and contributed to other programs to benefit the disadvantaged in Baltimore. His last position was as Director of the Maryland Department of Public Welfare which he held between 1953 and 1962. Judge Waxter was also credited as one of three founders of the Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore where he was Chairman of the Board for ten years. Remembered as an advocate for Baltimore’s youth and elderly, The Waxter Center for Senior Citizens in Baltimore was dedicated as a memorial to him.

Information for this Biographical note was gathered from "Pioneers in Professionalism: Ten Who Made a Significant Difference 1880-1930" created by Ms. Michael Crouse, P.I., Mark Battle, Susan McFeaters, Esta Glazer (Project Commitee) for the National Association of Social Workers Maryland Chapter (found through www.nasw-md.org).