John A. Rocco (June 25, 1936 – April 8, 2020) was an American

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

politician who served in the

New Jersey General Assembly The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature. Since the election of 1967 (1968 Session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for ...

from 1980 to 1998, where he represented the 6th Legislative District. Rocco also served as Mayor of

Cherry Hill, New Jersey Cherry Hill is a township within Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township had a population of 74,553, which reflected an increase of 3,508 (+4.94%) from the 71,045 counted in the 2010 census.

Biography

Born in

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south and the Schuylkill River to the west.Girard College Girard College is an independent college preparatory five-day boarding school located on a 43-acre campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school was founded and permanently endowed from the shipping and banking fortune of Stephen Girard upon h ...

. Rocco earned his undergraduate degree from West Chester College with a major in education, earned a master's degree in education from

Villanova University Villanova University is a Private university, private Catholic church, Roman Catholic research university in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinians in 1842 and named after Thomas of Villanova, Sa ...

and was awarded a

Doctor of Education The Doctor of Education (Ed.D. or D.Ed.; Latin ''Educationis Doctor'' or ''Doctor Educationis'') is (depending on region and university) a research or professional doctoral degree that focuses on the field of education. It prepares the holder for a ...

degree from

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...

. From 1964 to 1968, he was the principal of Cherry Hill's Woodcrest School. From 1968 to 1979, he was an associate professor at Camden County College, and then that school's director of continuing education. Rocco later became a professor at

Rowan College Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. It was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents. ...

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

. Accessed June 17, 2010. Rocco served as mayor of Cherry Hill from 1975 to 1977 and was a member of its Township Council from 1977 to 1979. He was a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

and

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

. He was chosen to serve as a member of the

National Commission for Employment Policy The National Commission for Employment Policy was an agency established within the United States Department of Labor. Originally established in September 1962 as the National Manpower Advisory Committee, it was re-designated the National Commission ...

from 1983 to 1989.Nominations & Appointments, May 23, 1986

Ronald Reagan Presidential Library The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is the repository of presidential records from the administration of Ronald Reagan, the 40th president of the United States, and the burial place of the president and first lady, Nancy Reagan. It is the larg ...

. Accessed June 17, 2010. In 1979, Rocco was elected to the Assembly together with running mate

Thomas J. Shusted Thomas J. Shusted (August 3, 1926 – March 31, 2004) was an American attorney and politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly on two separate occasions, representing Legislative District 3D from 1970 to 1972 and the 6th Legislativ ...

, unseating Democratic incumbents Barbara Berman and

Mary Keating Croce Mary Keating Croce DiSabato (December 4, 1928 – October 21, 2016) was an American Democratic Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly for three two-year terms, where she represented the 6th Legislative District from 1974 ...

. In the Assembly, Rocco was the Assistant Minority Whip in 1984 and 1985, Speaker Pro Tempore from 1986 to 1989 and was the Deputy Speaker starting in 1992. He served as Chair of the Education Committee and as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Schools. Legislation proposed by Rocco in 1996 would allow parents to opt out of public school requirements to wear

school uniform A school uniform is a uniform worn by students primarily for a school or otherwise an educational institution.They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries. An example of a uniform would be requiring button-down shir ...

s. In December 1997, Rocco introduced legislation in the Assembly that would ban public school students from selling candy and other fundraising items door to door, as well as prohibit programs that offered students incentives for higher sales figures. The bill, which would make New Jersey the second in the nation to implement such a ban, was proposed following the rape and murder of an 11-year-old boy from Jackson Township while selling candy and wrapping paper to residents near his home.Goodnough, Abby
"A Plan to Ban Door-to-Door Sales by Schoolchildren Is Praised by Educators"
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', December 9, 1997. Accessed June 17, 2010. In 1997, Rocco lost to Democratic incumbent

John Adler John Herbert Adler (August 23, 1959April 4, 2011) was an American lawyer, politician and a member of the Democratic Party who served for one term as the U.S. representative for from 2009 until 2011. He lost his 2010 congressional election to f ...

in the race for the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

by a margin of 53%-47%.Staff
"Results of Senate Races; The Party Lines Hold in the Senate"
''

'', November 9, 1997. Accessed June 17, 2010. Rocco died of respiratory failure on April 8, 2020, in

Voorhees Township, New Jersey Voorhees Township is a Township (New Jersey), township in Camden County, New Jersey, Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 29,131, reflecting an inc ...

.Cook, Bonnie L
"Dr. John A. Rocco, South Jersey educator, politician, and family man, dies at 83"
''

The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...

'', April 10, 2020. Accessed April 11, 2020. "To say that Dr. John A. Rocco led a busy life would be selling him short: For decades, he juggled roles as an educator, politician, and family man. The college professor, former Cherry Hill mayor, and two-decade New Jersey state assemblyman died Wednesday, April 8, of respiratory failure at Samaritan Hospice in Voorhees. He was 83."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocco, John A. 1936 births 2020 deaths Mayors of places in New Jersey Republican Party members of the New Jersey General Assembly New Jersey city council members People from Cherry Hill, New Jersey Politicians from Philadelphia Rowan University faculty Rutgers University alumni Villanova University alumni West Chester University alumni Deaths from respiratory failure