The John L. Calhoun Memorial Scholarship

He was a 1966 graduate of Hereford High School, where he played varsity baseball for four years and was captain of the debate team. He attended Randolph Macon College on full scholarships, graduating in 1970 with a double major in History and French. In 1973 he received a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law. He was married to Annamarie “Trudy” (nee Maccentelli) Calhoun for 38 years. John was proud of his two children, their spouses, and his three grandsons. John embraced golf passionately.

He was a highly skilled legal advocate, and a member of the Maryland, Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia bars, and admitted to seven federal courts. Over the course of his notable career, John tried many serious cases, including over 40 murder trials. In one area of law, John possessed an undefeated record, the only attorney I know to have such a distinction. He also taught paralegal courses at area colleges and authored several books on commercial collections law.  He was possessed of interests, knowledge, and understanding, embracing all manner of human endeavor. Talking to John was a frequently humorous and always informative experience. He was known to spontaneously burst into a rendition of anything from blues standards to mid-70s country. John passed away in December of 2014 after an epic battle with cancer. I think John might also hold a record for the longest survival from diagnosis to the demise of his cancer type. The courage and ferocity of his battle surprised no one.

John frequently spoke of his enjoyment of growing up in Baltimore county, and practiced law, and raised his family there as a man. John and I often discussed the requirements for admittance to the practice of law, how those requirements grew more taxing over time, and varied, significantly, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. The convergence of these two topics led to the creation of the John Calhoun Memorial Scholarship.