Later Life
When Tawes left his office as Governor, he was given a 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood as a gift from his supporters. Soon after he was elected by the people of Somerset County to represent them in the Maryland Constitutional Convention of 1967/68. Tawes was voted Honorary President by the members of the convention, but remained silent during the proceedings as to not give the impression of a conflict of interest. After all, it was Tawes who called for the convention whilst governor.
After the signing of the Constitutional ratifications, Tawes was appointed by his successor, Governor Spiro Agnew, to serve as Chairman of the Board of Natural Resources. Agnew's successor, Marvin Mandel, appointed Tawes as Secretary of the newly-created Department of Natural Resources, where he served as an advocate for the protection and nurturing of Maryland's environment. Tawes' final service to the state came as Treasurer of Maryland, where he was chosen to fill an unexpired term from 1973 to 1975.
Tawes was found unconscious at his home in Crisfield on June 25, 1979 from what appeared to be heart attack. After spending nearly an hour attempting to revive him, ambulance personnel and doctors on the scene determined that he could not be saved. He had been admitted to the hospital a month before complaining of chest pains, and two weeks prior due to a mild heart attack.
Following his death, Tawes was reflected upon as a moderate and calm political figure. While publicly seen as weak due to his age and often indirect administration methods, Tawes was capable of pushing legislation through the General Assembly when necessary, though he was not always eager to do so. He was also capable of appealing to both sides of an issue by maintaining a moderate record. Before his death, Tawes noted his proudest accomplishments revolved around leaving a state government that was fiscally sound, and also for improving the education system and establishing community colleges. He is buried in Sunny Ridge Memorial Park in his hometown of Crisfield.
Read more about this topic: J. Millard Tawes
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