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Military Service: Navy

War(s) Served:  World War II

Robert B. Meyner, the sixty-first governor of New Jersey, was born in Easton, Pennsylvania on July 3, 1908. His education was attained at Lafayette College, where he graduated in 1930, and at Columbia Law School, where he earned an LL.B. degree in 1933. After establishing a successful career as a trial lawyer, Meyner joined the U.S. Naval Reserve, serving during World War II as a lieutenant commander. He first entered politics as an unsuccessful candidate for the New Jersey State Senate in 1941. He also lost his bid for a congressional seat in 1946, however, he successfully won his election to the New Jersey State Senate in 1947, a position he held three years. He also chaired the 1951 Democratic State Convention; and served as an alternate delegate-at-large to the 1952 Democratic National Convention. Meyner next secured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 3, 1953. He was reelected to a second term in 1957. During his tenure, a state employees compensation plan was authorized; the usage of absentee ballots was sanctioned; the state highway system was advanced; and the Delaware River Basin Compact was approved. After completing his term, Meyner retired from political life. He continued to stay active in his legal career, as well as serving on several insurance and banking boards. Governor Robert B. Meyner passed away on May 27, 1990, and his cremated ashes were interred in the Phillipsburg Cemetery in Phillipsburg, New Jersey.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 3, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

Lafayette College

Wikipedia.org

The Political Graveyard