African American Admirals of the Chesapeake Bay

Maryland governors have bestowed this prestigious title, Admiral of the Chesapeake to over 100 individuals spanning from Governor J. Millard Tawes (1967) to Governor Wes Moore. Previous recipients of the honor include: scientists, authors, watermen, educators, environmental policy advocates, business leaders, and political leaders. To date, there have been 5 African Americans to receive this award in over 60 years. Below is a biographical sketch of the men who have made a lifetime contribution to the preservation and conservation of this national treasure.

Marcellus Hall, Annapolis (1894-1971)

Governor J. Millard Tawes appointed Mr. Hall an Admiral of the Chesapeake in 1966. Mr. Hall was the Maître D at the former Carver Hall Hotel in Annapolis, which catered to U.S. Naval Academy Officers, VIP’s, and elected officials. He served in the Army during World War 1 and was a confidante to legislators and mentored minority youth and Mid–Shipmen for nearly 50 years.

Mr. Hall led walking tours throughout Annapolis and wrote a Guide Book to the historic city. Old-timers remember Mr. Hall sponsored steamboat cruises on the bay, sailing to ports like Cambridge and Baltimore. On special occasions, as many as 600 African Americans, dressed in their Sunday’s best, would prepare picnic baskets and enjoy a wonderful day on the Chesapeake Bay.

Marcellus Hall, Annapolis (1894 - 1971)

Cecil C. Burton, Annapolis (1914 - 1997)

Cecil C. Burton Annapolis (1914-1997)

Governor Parris N. Glendening posthumously granted the Admiral of the Chesapeake honor to Mr. Burton. On October 31, 1997, State Senator John Astle presented the special recognition at Mr. Burton’s funeral service. Senator Astle stated,” Mr. Burton loved children, crabs, and the Chesapeake Bay. He was a champion of education, serving as a teacher, counselor, principal, coach, and mentor to countless young people.” Mr. Burton was a civic and business leader who was active in the affordable housing industry, real estate development, and politics.

Mr. Burton founded the Home Owners Services Realty Company, aiding countless young adults to become homeowners. Mr. Burton specialized in real estate investment and home building in traditional African American waterfront communities such as Arundel-on-the-Bay, Oyster Harbor, Shady Side, and Columbia Beach. Through counseling and scholarships, Mr. Burton helped hundreds of students matriculate to colleges and universities. He was an active alumnus from the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical College (A &T) in Greensboro and the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated from the Wharton School of Business.

Earl Clinton White, Deal Island (1918 -2004)

Governor Parris N. Glendening personally presented the Admiral of the Chesapeake award to Mr. White on November 18, 1998. That date coincided with Mr. White’s 80th birthday celebration held at City Dock in Annapolis. Mr. White, affectionately referred to as the “Black Pearl of the Chesapeake,” was an oysterman and blues musician born on the lower Eastern Shore area of Deal Island. Mr. White, reared in the Dames Quarter section, worked as a waterman on the bay for nearly 60 years and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. At the time of the honor, he worked for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation as an education and first mate on their Skipjack, the Stanley Norman, which was used for environmental education and served as the foundation’s flagship.

Before that time, Mr. White crewed with Captain Ed Farley on the same skipjack harvesting oysters. He shared his direct knowledge and experiences drudging for oysters under sail with thousands of school children. Annapolis Mayor Dean Johnson declared November 18th Earl White Day. Students from Annapolis Elementary School paid a special tribute to Mr. White, and later that evening, a reception was held in his honor at the Marriott Waterfront Hotel. Mr. White stated that “he was amazed that the governor thought enough of small-town waterman to make the rare move of giving him the honorary title of Admiral.”

Earl C. White, Deal Island (1918 - 2004)

Vincent O. Leggett, Annapolis (1953 - 2024)

On January 20, 2003, Mr. Leggett became one of the youngest Admirals of the Chesapeake, 49, when appointed by Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening. Honorable Michael E. Busch, Speaker of Maryland House of Delegates, presented this award to Mr. Leggett at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Breakfast held at Anne Arundel Community College. Approximately 600 persons were in attendance when Mr. Leggett stated, “For me, Civil Rights and Environmental Justice went hand in hand, and what better place to receive this recognition than at a breakfast honoring Dr. King."

Mr. Leggett, an educator, cultural historian, and author, founded the Blacks of the Chesapeake Project in 1984. Mr. Leggett’s citation read, “This award is bestowed upon you for documenting and bringing to light the many contributions and achievements of African Americans in the maritime and seafood processing industries throughout the mid-Atlantic region." In 2000, the U. S. Congress and the Library of Congress designated the Blacks of the Chesapeake a Local Legacy Project. As a result of recommendations from Maryland Congressman Wayne Gilchrest, Mr. Leggett’s research, writings, and books, Blacks of the Chesapeake: An Integral Part of Maritime History and The Chesapeake Bay Through Ebony Eyes, were included in the Permanent Collections of the Smithsonian Institution.

Vincent O. Leggett, Annapolis
(1953 - 2024)

Captain Eldridge Meredith, Grasonville
(1926 - 2017)

Eldridge Meredith, Grasonville (1926-2017)

Governor Larry Hogan appointed and commissioned the venerable 90-year-old Kent Island waterman, charter boat captain, and businessman, Captain Eldridge Meredith, Admiral of Chesapeake Bay on January 26, 2017. Admiral Meredith was born on February 23, 1926, and has worked on the waters of the bay for 90% of his life. At age 10, he began crabbing, harvesting oysters, and fishing with his father, Capt. Earl Meredith and Grandfather Capt. Richard Meredith. Admiral Meredith’s ancestors owned property in the Newtown section of Chester, along Crab Alley Creek, before the Civil War.

Admiral Meredith’s charter boat, the Island Queen II is being used by his son, Captain Tyrone Meredith, in Grasonville on the Eastern Shore. Admiral Meredith is an innovator moving from the traditional role of waterman to a charter boat captain and restaurateur. The concept of his seafood restaurant was “From the Bay to the Table.”

The Honorable Thomas V. Mike Miller, Jr., President of the Maryland Senate, penned these words to Admiral Meredith in his January 26, 2017, letter, “Following in the footsteps of your father, and grandfather, and great-grandfather,r you have sailed the Bay to witness Maryland grow around our Bay’s resources. You have seen the Baltimore harbor grow into a thriving port and watched our shore communities connect through the construction of the Bay Bridge. For over 80 years, you drew from family tradition to expand your profession into a flourishing charter business that mentors numerous other African American captains in the area. A living testament to the essential role of African Americans working the Chesapeake Bay, your accomplishments continue to leave a historic impact on Queen Anne’s County and the State. Congratulations on your recent appointment as the Admiral and Ambassador of the Chesapeake.”