Two-time author and longtime Brentwood mayor, George D. Denny Jr. has donated copies of his books to the College of Southern Marylands Southern Maryland Studies Center. A 1965 alum of the college, Denny donated Proud Past, Promising Future: Cities and Towns in Prince Georges County, Maryland which was written in 1997 and Brentwood: Town in Transition“, published in 2008.
Proud Past, Promising Future is about the history of cities in Prince Georges County which was created from pieces of Calvert and St. Marys Counties. Brentwood focuses on the Town of Brentwood, named after the estate of Robert Brent whose ancestors settled in St. Marys County in the 1630s. Denny was elected to the Town of Brentwood Council in 1972 and continued as a council member until 1981 when he was elected mayor. He was mayor for 19 years until 2007.
As a 1962 graduate of La Plata High School, Denny recalled when he enrolled at the college in 1963 that the college shared the facilities of the old La Plata High School, with college classes meeting in the evenings. One of my most vivid memories of my experiences at the college related to my first semester of English. Prior to enrolling, I was advised by my friends that I should have a typewriter to use for my classes. Since I was not receiving financial assistance from any source, I needed to be frugal with my funds. I managed to buy a portable typewriter before classes began. When the first English home writing assignment was issued, I hauled out my typewriter and proceeded to complete my essay.
I turned the essay in the following class night, and I received it back later with an A at the top. The A, however, was accompanied by a note from my instructor indicating that I should not type my papers, as doing so gave me a distinct advantage over my classmates. So much for the typewriter, Denny said.
While at the college, Denny was elected president of Student Government Association and he recalls that he was the only student in his graduating class of 10 to receive high honors.
He went on to receive a bachelors and a masters degree from the University of Maryland. In 1967 he began his teaching career for Prince Georges County Public Schools and worked as a counselor and administrator for the public school system before retiring in 2002
Denny is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Educational Federal Credit Union in Greenbelt and of the Prince Georges Hall of Fame Committee. In addition to his years as an elected official, Denny served as president of the Prince Georges County Municipal Association, president of the Maryland Mayors Association and chairman of the Anacostia Trials Heritage Area, Inc. His years as an elected official earned him an induction into Maryland Municipal Leagues Hall of Fame.
I would highly recommend the College of Southern Maryland. Not only is it more affordable, but also the number and diversity of available programs, coupled with the smaller campus, makes it the ideal starting place for continuing your education. With existing financial aid opportunities and flexible class offerings, students can tailor their programs to fit their schedules and their budgets, he said.
As the College of Southern Maryland celebrates its 50th anniversary, the CSM Foundation marks a major milestone in the colleges history of the college with its Campaign for the Next 50 Years. The campaign is raising $5 million to fund an Institute for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (ISTEM), a Regional Center for Trades and Transportation Technologies; and initiatives to address local nursing and healthcare workforce shortages; focus on educational excellence, and endow a student scholarship fund for access and success. CSM, founded in 1958, is the fifth largest community college in Maryland and grown to be the centerpiece of Southern Maryland with campuses in Calvert, Charles and St. Marys counties and more than 21,000 annual enrollments. For information about CSM, call 301-934-7765 or 301-870-2309, 240-725-5499 or 443-550-6199, Ext. 7765 or visit www.csmd.edu