Thomas N. McCarter

Thomas Nesbitt McCarter (October 20, 1867 – October 23, 1955) was an American lawyer who served as the Attorney General of New Jersey from 1902 until 1903, resigning to organize the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey.

McCarter was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1867 to Thomas Nesbitt and Mary Louisa (Haggerty) McCarter. After attending the Newark Academy and Pingry School, he entered Princeton University, graduating in 1888. He later provided the funds for the building of a theatre at Princeton, named the McCarter Theatre in his honor. [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F40611F63A5E107B93C6AB178BD95F418585F9 "T.N. M'Carter Sr., Founded Utility"] . "The New York Times", October 24, 1955. Accessed June 26, 2008.]

McCarter studied law at Columbia Law School and at his father's law firm, McCarter & Keen, in Newark, New Jersey. McCarter and his brother Robert, along with their brother-in-law Edwin B. Williamson, reformed in 1891 as McCarter, Williamson & McCarter (later known as McCarter & English). [ [http://books.google.com/books?id=iY0MAAAAYAAJ "A History of the City of Newark, New Jersey"] , Vol. 3 (1913).] [ [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE4DB1638F937A25756C0A963958260 "150 Years of Briefs, Torts And the Occasional Celebrity"] . "The New York Times", May 14, 1995. Accessed June 26, 2008.] In 1896 he was appointed judge of the First District Court in Newark, resigning in 1899. That year he was elected to the New Jersey Senate, where he would serve as majority leader.

Also in 1899 he began his own practice, forming the firm of McCarter & Adams with Edwin G. Adams. He ended his partnership with Adams in 1902 to serve as general counsel for the Fidelity Trust Company of Newark. Later in 1902 he was nominated by Governor Franklin Murphy as Attorney General of New Jersey and was immediately confirmed. [http://nj.gov/oag/oag/ag_1902-1903_mccarter_bio.htm Official bio] , Office of the Attorney General of New Jersey. Accessed June 26, 2008.]

McCarter served only one year of his five-year term before resigning in 1903 to organize the Public Service Corporation of New Jersey, which would become one the nation's largest public utilities. Governor Murphy appointed his brother, Robert H. McCarter, to succeed him as Attorney General. McCarter became the first president of the Public Service Corporation and served in that position for 36 years, resigning in 1945 on his 78th birthday. Under his guidance the corporation expanded its control from trolley lines to the management of the state's gas, electric and transportation facilities. In 1948 it was renamed the Public Service Electric and Gas Company.

McCarter died in 1955 at his home in Rumson at the age of 88.

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