Francis Boucher "Bill" Burch (November 26, 1918 – June 1, 1987) was an American politician who served as the

Attorney General of Maryland The Attorney General of the State of Maryland is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland in the United States and is elected by the people every four years with no term limits. To run for the office a person must be a citizen of and qual ...

from 1966 until 1978.

Education

Burch, the son of L. Claude Burch and Constance Boucher, was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

and attended the public elementary and parochial schools in the city, graduating from the

Baltimore City College Baltimore City College, known colloquially as City, City College, and B.C.C., is a college preparatory school with a classical liberal arts focus and selective admissions criteria located in Baltimore, Maryland. Opened in October 1839, B.C.C ...

high school in 1937. He received his A.B. degree from Loyola College where he graduated summa cum laude and first in his class in 1941. In 1943 he received his

Juris Doctor A Juris Doctor, Doctor of Jurisprudence, or Doctor of Law (JD) is a graduate-entry professional degree that primarily prepares individuals to practice law. In the United States and the Philippines, it is the only qualifying law degree. Other j ...

degree from the Yale Law School and was fourth in his class.

Background

During World War II he was a volunteer in the Port Security Force and then became an instructor at Loyola College until 1957. Roman Catholic. Married Mary Patricia Howe. He died in

Towson Towson () is an Unincorporated area, unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 59,533 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is t ...

Baltimore County Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland. The county is part of the Central Maryland region of the state. Baltimore County partly surrounds but does not include the independent city ...

, June 1, 1987. While attending Baltimore City College, Burch was a member of student government, the lacrosse and tennis teams, yearbook committee, honor society, the Hi-Y club which sponsored school activities such as receptions for members of the schools sports teams, and finally as a senior in 1937, was a member of the prom and banquet committee. The Green Bag. Baltimore: Senior Class of Baltimore City College, 1937.

Political career

Burch first ran for Maryland Attorney General in 1966. He was victorious, and won the elections for Attorney General in 1970 and 1974. He ran for Governor of Maryland in 1978, but was unsuccessful. While Attorney General of Maryland, Burch, an advocate for higher education, would be influential in expanding student intern programs and law clerk programs in order to expose law students to the work, functions, and responsibilities of the Department of Law. Burch, Francis. Annual Report and Official Opinions of The Attorney General of Maryland. Baltimore: 20th Century Printing Company, 1973. Throughout his life, Burch was always known as "Bill" and not as Francis or Frank. In 1978, Burch would finally have his name changed, legally inserting Bill into his formal name. Burch was quoted as saying Bill is a name in which I am "publicly and generally known."(1978, March 21). ''The Baltimore Sun'', 1.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burch, Francis B. Maryland attorneys general Politicians from Baltimore Maryland lawyers 1918 births Baltimore City College alumni 1987 deaths 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century Maryland politicians