Brendan Byrne

Infobox Governor
name = Brendan Thomas Byrne


image_size = 150px
caption = Former Governor Byrne, in September 2007
order = 47^th
office = Governor of New Jersey
term_start = January 15, 1974
term_end = January 19, 1982
predecessor = William T. Cahill
successor = Thomas Kean
birth_date = birth date and age |1924|4|1|
birth_place = West Orange, New Jersey
death_date =
death_place =
spouse = Ruthi Zinn
religion = Catholic
party = Democratic

Brendan Thomas Byrne (b. April 1 1924, West Orange, New Jersey) is an American Democratic Party politician from New Jersey, who served as the 47th Governor of New Jersey, from 1974 to 1982.

Byrne is a native of West Orange, New Jersey. [Golway, Terry. [http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/31/nyregion/31NJ.html "When Codey Talks, He Talks to Them"] , "The New York Times", October 31, 2004. Accessed November 5, 2007. "Essex County, home of the state's largest city, Newark, and a diverse population of nearly 800,000, has not had a governor to call its own since Brendan T. Byrne - another native of West Orange - left office January 1982."]

He graduated from Princeton University, A.B., 1949, and Harvard University, LL.B, 1950. During World War II, Byrne served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals. [ [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=9a38224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD New Jersey Governor Brendan Thomas Byrne] , National Governors Association. Accessed August 6, 2007.]

He is a member of the Essex County, New Jersey and New Jersey State Bar Associations.

He also served as
*Editor of the "Irish Law Reports".
*Essex County Prosecutor, 1959-1968.
*Vice President of the National District Attorneys Association, 1968.
*President of the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities, 1968-1970.
*New Jersey Superior Court Judge, 1970-1973.
*Court Assignment Judge, 1973.
*Governor of the State of New Jersey, 1974-1982.
*Trustee of Princeton University, 1974-1982.
*Chairman of the Princeton University Council on New Jersey Affairs, 1985-1989.
*First Chair of the U.S. Marshalls Foundation.
*Member of the Advisory Board, National Judicial College.
*And as a member of the Board of Directors of the:* Chelsea GA Carvel Foundation:* Elizabethtown Water Company:* Prudential Insurance Company:* Cali Realty Company.

The Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly Lebanon State Forest) is named for him. The Brendan T. Byrne Arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford was also named for him, although it was renamed the Continental Airlines Arena in 1996, and then the Izod Center in 2007. [Sandomir, Richard. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C01E3DB1239F936A35752C0A960958260 " HOCKEY;Brendan Byrne Arena Goes Continental"] , "The New York Times", January 5, 1996. Accessed March 29, 2008. "For nearly 15 years, it was officially the Brendan Byrne Arena. But that political homage to the former Democratic governor was covered forever today by a banner heralding the benefactor paying $29 million through 2007 as title sponsor of the arena: Continental Airlines."]

He is currently a partner at Carella, Byrne, Bain, Gilfillan, Cecchi, Stewart & Olstein in Roseland. Additionally, Byrne and his successor as governor, Thomas Kean, co-write a weekly column in the "The Star Ledger", containing their "dialogue" on state and national public affairs and politics.

Byrne's son, Tom Byrne, was the New Jersey Democratic Party chair in the 1990s and was a prospective candidate for the U.S. Senate race in 2000, before withdrawing in favor of eventual winner Jon Corzine, now the state's governor.

References

External links

* [http://www.nga.org/portal/site/nga/menuitem.29fab9fb4add37305ddcbeeb501010a0/?vgnextoid=9a38224971c81010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e449a0ca9e3f1010VgnVCM1000001a01010aRCRD New Jersey Governor Brendan Thomas Byrne] , National Governors Association