By Elizabeth Hughes, MHT Director
MHT staff early in Rodney’s tenure.
It is with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of J. Rodney Little, director of the Maryland Historical Trust (MHT) from 1978 until his retirement in 2014. During this time he served under Governors Lee, Hughes, Schaefer, Glendening, Ehrlich, and O’Malley. Rodney played an influential role in historic preservation not only on the state level but also on the national stage – helping to protect the federal historic preservation program when it was under serious threat by James Watt and the Reagan administration.
Rodney Little at the MHT Holiday Party in 2012.
Closer to home, Rodney created or helped to launch many of Maryland’s signature preservation programs, including the Maryland Heritage Areas Program in 1995 and the Maryland Historic Revitalization Tax Credit Program, which combined have spurred billions of dollars in investments in our communities. He was forward-thinking and expansive in his views on cultural heritage and preservation, broadening MHT’s mission to include maritime archaeology, history museums, and intangible cultural resources. Under Rodney’s leadership, MHT developed the Jefferson Patterson Historical Park and Museum in Calvert County, including construction of the state-of-the-art Maryland Archeological Conservation Laboratory.
Left: Alice Merrill (left) was the first administrator of MHT’s Historical and Cultural Museums Assistance Program. Right: Rodney Little, Dr. Susan Langley, and Richard Hughes at the designation of the U-1105 Historic Shipwreck Preserve (1995).
For those of you who did not have the pleasure of knowing Rodney, he was a brilliant political strategist, an outstanding story teller with a wicked sense of humor, and an incredibly supportive leader who never missed an opportunity to recognize the talent and dedication of the staff who supported him. For me personally, Rodney was a warm and insightful mentor who was always available to commiserate or provide guidance as the situation required.
Rodney was truly one of a kind. His adopted state of Maryland is fortunate to have benefited from his service for so many years. Please join me in remembering him and recognizing the enduring legacy of this “adequate” (his favorite tongue-in-cheek compliment) SHPO whose outstanding contributions to Maryland’s preservation policies and programs continue to touch the work that we do everyday.
