Allegany County Board of Education - IV

Allegany County Board of Education - IV

In 1974 the Allegany County Board of Education moved from an appointed to an elected position. Prior to that time the appointed Allegany County Board of Education was composed of five members of whom at least two had to be women. In addition, at least two members were to represent the minority political party. To be eligible as a candidate, a prospective member had to submit a petition signed by at least 200 county voters to the Allegany County Board of Elections. There are three women who are known to have been appointed to serve on the Allegany County Board of Education prior to the non-partisan elections initiated in 1974. These have included May B. Bolt who served from August 1963 through December 1974, Wilton J. Young who served from 1961 through 1966, and Esmine (Minnie) Gilbert who served in an appointed position from 1973-1975.

Minnie Gilbert has the distinction of being one of thirteen women to have served in an elected capacity. This was from 1985 to 1987. Gilbert also served on the Allegany County Planning and Zoning Commission during the 1980s and early 1990s and was a leader in the League of Women Voters of Allegany County. She was active in local public policy issues pertaining to water resources, education, land use planning, and coal mining.

The following are excerpts from the obituaries of May B. Bolt and Wilton J. Young which appeared in the Cumberland Times-News. The information focuses upon their community involvement:

May Bruner Bolt, 1916 - 2000
Cumberland Times-News - August 24, 2000
"May Bruner Bolt, 84 of 57 Broadway, died Wednesday, August 23, 2000, at the St. Vincent DePaul Nursing Care Center, Frostburg. Mrs. Bolt was a retired postmaster of the Eckhart Post Office. She was a lifelong member of the Eckhart Methodist Church and attended the Frostburg United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Frostburg House and Garden Club, Soroptimist Club, the Maplehurst Country Club, the Allegany College Foundation Board of Directors, and formerly served on the Allegany County Board of Education before she was appointed to the Maryland State Board of Education."
The family requested any memorials be directed to the May B. Bolt Scholarship Fund at Allegany College of Maryland.

Wilton J. Young
Cumberland Times-News - April 19, 2010
Wilton Jenkins Young, 88, of 744 Washington St., Cumberland, died Sunday, April 18, 2010, at home.
Born Oct. 4, 1921, in Frostburg, she was the daughter of the late William E. Jenkins and Bessie (Sleeman) Jenkins.
She attended the Maryland College for Women in Lutherville, where she was named president of the freshman class in 1939. An avid horsewoman, she was especially thrilled to have been invited to join the college riding club. She later transferred to the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega and became president of her sorority.
After school, Wilton taught at Allegany High School and then worked for her father at the Consolidated Coal Company.
Mrs. Young loved horses and riding. She won the championship ribbon aboard Yvette at the 1950 Cumberland Horse Show. She was a member of the Cumberland Country Club, where she won several awards, including one Ladies Championship. She was also a member of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, the Board of the Auxiliary of Memorial Hospital, Allegany County Board of Education, and other civic organizations.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Animal Welfare Society, P.O. Box 123, Cumberland, MD 21501-0123.