C. Clifton Virts
C. Clifton Virts Jr. (March 3, 1910 – March 28, 1985) was an American politician and lawyer from Maryland. He was born in Leesburg, Virginia, and lost his sight at age nine after a dynamite cap exploded in his face. He attended local schools, moved to Frederick, Maryland in 1926, and graduated from the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind in 1930.
Virts studied at the University of Virginia and earned a law degree from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1940, being admitted to the bar that year. He began practicing law in Frederick on April 8, 1941, and continued his legal work for life. He served as president of the Frederick County Bar Association in 1959–1960 and worked as an equity examiner for Frederick County.
A Democrat, Virts served in the Maryland House of Delegates representing Frederick County from 1947 to 1974, and after redistricting he served District 3B from 1975 to 1978. He was known for his guide dog sitting beside him in the legislative aisle. Governor J. Millard Tawes appointed him to the State Parks Commission.
Beyond politics, Virts was active in the community. He chaired the Fort Detrick Boy Scouts in 1965–66 and was a member of the Frederick Lions Club and the Yellow Springs Lions Club. He taught Bible school at All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick. Virts married Stella Anne Overman in 1942, and they had two children, Charles Clifton III and Nancy.
He died on March 28, 1985, at Frederick Memorial Hospital, at the age of 75.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 06:15 (CET).