Spencer, Jean Elizabeth

Jean Elizabeth Spencer was born on March 28, 1933. She received a B.S., an M.A. in Political Science in 1961 and a Ph.D. in 1966, all from the University of Maryland. After earning her Ph.D., she became a research associate at the Bureau of Governmental Research, College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Maryland.

Based on her expertise and experience in the area of state and local government, Governor Tawes selected Spencer to work as staff director of the Commission for the Modernization of the Maryland Government, headed by John Curlett, in 1966. In 1967, she became the assistant director of the Governor's Task Force on Modern Management under Governor Spiro Agnew and continued in this position under Governor Mandel. During this time, she arranged for the creation of the Executive Reorganization Committee, also headed by Curlett, to continue the work of the former commission and to develop a comprehensive plan of reorganization to submit to the Maryland General Assembly in 1969. Governor Mandel implemented state executive branch reorganization to form a cabinet system based on recommendations from the Commission. Spencer was also the research staff director for the Maryland Constitutional Convention of 1967-1968, which drafted a proposed state constitution that was hailed across the country as a model for state government reform. It was later defeated in a referendum vote in 1968, although many of its amendments were eventually adopted. While working for Governor Agnew in 1968, Spencer also made recommendations to Agnew in favor of reactivating the Commission on the Status of Women, originally formed by Governor Tawes in 1965, and of which Spencer was staff advisor. It was renamed the Maryland Commission for Women and established by law under Governor Mandel in 1971.

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