- William J. Hamilton
William J. Hamilton, Jr. (born
December 26 ,1932 ) is an American Democratic Partypolitician fromNew Jersey , who served in both houses of theNew Jersey Legislature . He was Speaker of theNew Jersey General Assembly for the 1977 session.Hamilton was born in
New Brunswick, New Jersey to William J. and May V. (Mulligan) Hamilton. After receiving a B.A. degree fromRutgers University in 1954, he served in theUnited States Navy , rising to the rank ofLieutenant, Junior Grade . In 1960 he received a J.D. fromGeorgetown University . He moved to Florida, where he was a law clerk for a U.S. District Court judge (1960-61) and an assistant U.S. attorney (1962-67).Hamilton returned to New Brunswick, becoming a partner in the law firm of Hamilton and Mulligan. He served as New Brunswick director of municipal civil defense and disaster control in 1970. The following year he was elected to the
New Jersey General Assembly from the 19th Legislative District in Middlesex and Somerset Counties. Hamilton served three terms, becoming assistant majority leader in 1974 and majority leader for the 1976 session. He was named Speaker in January 1977, following the election of incumbentJoseph A. LeFante to theUnited States House of Representatives .Hamilton's term as Speaker ended after his election to the
New Jersey Senate , replacingJohn A. Lynch, Sr. , in 1977. In 1981, rather than run for reelection, he sought the Democratic nomination for Governor. However his candidacy was hurt in its early stages when key Municipal Chairs in his home county of Middlesex declined to endorse him. He stayed in the race and finished tenth in a field of thirteen. When his Senate term ended in 1982, he was succeeded in the 19th District senate seat byJohn A. Lynch, Jr. and he returned to his New Brunswick law practice.Hamilton married Barbara Brown in 1958, and the couple had four children. He continues to reside in New Brunswick.
References
Sharp, James Roger and Nancy Weatherly Sharp. [http://books.google.com/books?id=vvcLAAAAYAAJ "American Legislative Leaders in the Northeast, 1911-1994"] . Greenwood Press, 2000.
External links
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/hamilton.html Biographical information for William J. Hamilton] from
The Political Graveyard
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.