Ceremony Commemorates Smith's Two Terms as Executive (With Video)

For eight years Jim Smith served as county executive in an office on the mezzanine of the Old Courthouse in Towson.

Now his portrait will hang in the hallway outside that office along with those of the 10 previous executives from the man known as "Iron Mike" Birmingham, the county's first executive, to Dutch Ruppersberger, Smith's predecessor and current congressman.

Current County Executive Kevin Kamenetz and former County Executives Ted Venetoulis, Donald Hutchinson, Dennis Rasmussen, Roger Hayden and Ruppersberger lunched with Smith before a ceremonial unveiling of the photograph.

The tradition of hanging the portraits was started 20 years ago by Hayden, one of two Republicans to hold the office.

The photo of Smith was taken six months ago by Bryan Dunn, a photographer who works for the county's Office of Communication.

Despite being the first in the Smith family to become county executive, Jim Smith is not the first member of his relatives to have his portrait hung inside the Old Courthouse.

Smith's uncle, Michael Paul Smith (for whom the executive's son is named) was a county Circuit Court judge who heard cases in the building when it was a functioning courthouse. Judge Michael Paul Smith's portrait is hung in Courtroom 5, also known as the Ceremonial Courtroom—which is still used for special county events as well as the swearing-in ceremonies for new county Circuit Court judges.

Two trivia questions (no prizes, just nerd bragging rights):

1. Of the 10 portraits not hanging in the Old Courthouse, how many are paintings? Bonus points if you can name the executives in those paintings.

2. Again, of the 10 portraits, how many feature the official county seal? More bonus points if you can name the executives who appear with the county seal.

Remember, this competition is for exhibition purposes only. No betting, please.

Also, honor system rules prevail here for county and non-government employees alike. No peeking, please. Leave your answers in the comments section.

I'll post the answers to both questions here in my column on Thursday.