William Preston Lane

William Preston Lane Jr. (May 12, 1892 – February 7, 1967) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 52nd governor of Maryland from 1947 to 1951.

Early life and education Lane was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, on May 12, 1892, to William Preston Lane and Virginia Cartwright Lane. He attended public school in Hagerstown before graduating from the University of Virginia in 1915 with a law degree. He subsequently joined the law firm Lane, Bushong, and Byron in his hometown, where he also served on the vestry of Saint John's Church. Lane served during the Mexican Border Campaign (1916) as a captain in the Maryland National Guard.

Military service When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Lane joined the 115th Infantry Regiment as a captain and served in France during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions at Bois-des-Consevoye, where he assisted in the evacuation of wounded after a bridge was destroyed by enemy fire.

Career Upon his return from service, Lane resumed the practice of law and began testing a career in politics. Subsequently, another black man, George Armwood, was arrested and charged with raping a white woman in the adjoining Somerset County and was being held prisoner by police in Princess Anne. However, a mob overran the police and kidnapped Armwood, badly beating, stabbing and mutilating him before the hanging, then burning his body in front of the nearby courthouse. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which now carries his name, was completed in 1952 under this plan. Lane Building (demolished in 2006) on the campus of Springfield State Hospital Center, Sykesville, Maryland.