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Portrait of Longest Serving African American in MD House of Delegates

msa.maryland.gov

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - One of the longest serving delegates and the first African American woman to chair a General Assembly legislative committee is being memorialized in a portrait.

On Friday, the Baltimore City delegation is set to unveil the portrait of Hattie Harrison, a Democrat from Baltimore who had the distinction of being the longest serving delegate until her death in 2013.

Harrison was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1973, where she represented District 45. She was the chairwoman of the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee for 33 years.

The delegate was born in Lancaster, South Carolina, but went to school in Baltimore. She was a teacher and a civil rights advocate.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.