William Preston Lane Jr. (May 12, 1892 – February 7, 1967) was an American attorney and politician who served as the 52nd Governor of Maryland from 1947 to 1951. Early life and education Lane was born in Hagerstown, Maryland, on May 12, 1892, to William Preston Lane and Virginia Cartwright Lane. He attended public school in Hagerstown before graduating from the University of Virginia in 1915 with a law degree. He subsequently joined the law firm Lane, Bushong, and Byron in his hometown, where he also served on the vestry of Saint John's Church. Lane served during the Mexican Border Campaign (1916) as a captain in the Maryland National Guard. Military service When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Lane joined the 115th Infantry Regiment as a captain and served in France during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. He was awarded the Silver Star for his actions at Bois-des-Consevoye, where he assisted in the evacuation of wounded after a bridge was destroyed by enemy fire. He continued service in the military after the war as Assistant Division Adjutant of the 29th Division at the rank of major. Career Upon his return from service, Lane resumed the practice of law and began testing a career in politics. He ran for but lost the seat of Washington County State's Attorney in 1919. After his defeat, he served as the president of a small newspaper company, as president of a tannery, and as a railroad executive. He married Dorothy Byron on January 17, 1922, and had two daughters, Dorothy and Jean. Attorney General of Maryland In 1928, Lane returned to politics when he was elected to the school board of Washington County. In 1930, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General of Maryland died unexpectedly and a replacement had to be found. Since Lane had formed a friendship with Albert Ritchie, the Governor of Maryland, he was placed on the ticket and won the seat by a large margin over his Republican opponent. The highlight of Lane's career as Attorney General was his pursuit of a lynching prosecution on the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 1933. Two years earlier on the Shore, a notorious lynching had occurred in Salisbury (the lynching of Matthew Williams), the response to which by Attorney-General Lane and Governor Ritchie was heavily criticized. Subsequently, another black man, George Armwood, was arrested and charged with raping a white woman in