Judge John Hanson Briscoe (1934-2014) was a Maryland politician and lawyer known for serving as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates (1962-1979); Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates (1973-1979); and Circuit Court judge of St. Mary's County (1986-2002).

Born on April 10, 1934 in Leonardtown, Maryland, to John Henry Thomas Briscoe, an attorney, and Hilda Maddox Briscoe, a former nurse, Briscoe graduated from St. Mary's Academy in 1952; received his AB from Mount St. Mary's University in 1956; and LLB from the University of Baltimore in 1960. He passed his Maryland Bar examination in 1960 and practiced law in St. Mary's County for several years.

Briscoe was voted into the Maryland House of Delegates in 1962; he later served as Speaker of the House from 1973 until 1979. During his tenure, Briscoe was a member or chair of numerous committees, including the Chesapeake Bay and Tributaries committee; Environmental Matters committee, Legislative Policy committee; the Natural Resources committee; and the Ways and Means committee. In addition to supporting civil rights, environmental, property tax, and abortion legislation, Briscoe was also involved in the preservation or establishment of numerous parks (e.g. Point Lookout).

Briscoe retired from the Maryland House of Delegates in 1979. After several years of practicing law in Lexington Park, Maryland, and serving as a registered lobbyist in Annapolis, Maryland, Briscoe was appointed as St. Mary's Circuit Court judge in 1986. He held that position until his retirement in 2002.

In addition to his professional positions, Briscoe was the president of several organizations, including Historic Sotterley Plantation and Historic St. Mary's Commission. He was also a member of the Board of Directors for the Maryland Center for Civic Education; the Advisory Board of the Chesapeake Bay Field Lab; and the Board of Review for the Department of Natural Resources. Briscoe was also a member of several organizations, including the Maryland State Bar Association; St. Mary's County Bar Association; and the Maryland Heritage Commission.

Briscoe was married twice, first to Sylvia Weiss and--after their divorce--to Bonnie Sue Brandt in circa 1985. He had five children.

Briscoe passed away in Hollywood, Maryland, on January 1, 2014.

Sources:

“Briscoe,” St. Mary’s County Library, accessed September 12, 2018, http://stmalib.archivalweb.com/scans/stmalib/ENTERPRISE/2014/2014-01-03_006.pdf.

Frederick N. Rasmussen, “Judge John Hanson Briscoe, House Speaker,” The Baltimore Sun, January 6, 2014, http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/obituaries/bs-md-ob-john-briscoe-20140106-story.html.

“John Hanson Briscoe (1934-2014),” Maryland.gov, accessed September 12, 2018, https://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/31cc/former/html/msa11733.html.

Megan McDonough, “John Hanson Briscoe, Former Speaker of the Maryland House and Circuit Court Judge, Dies,” Washington Post, January 6, 2014, https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/john-hanson-briscoe-former-speaker-of-the-maryland-house-and-circuit-court-judge-dies/2014/01/06/1c119214-76f3-11e3-b1c5-739e63e9c9a7_story.html?utm_term=.6027cd482d1d.

“Newsletter,” Maryland Civic Education, accessed September 12, 2018, http://www.marylandciviceducation.org/newsletter.htm.

Samuel Baldwin, “The John Hanson Briscoe Historical Project,” Baldwin, Briscoe, and Steinmetz, accessed September 12, 2018, http://www.baldwinbriscoe.com/.