Kenneth Cromwell Hand (May 6, 1899 – April 9, 1988) 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 and judge who served in the New Jersey State Senate. He was a candidate for the 1953 Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey.
Early life
Hand was born on May 6, 1899, in Putnam, Connecticut, the son of Rev. Aaron W. Hand (1855–1926) and Matilda Hand (1864–1938). Hand grew up in Keyport, New Jersey, where his father relocated to take a position as a Minister, and graduated from
Keyport High School
Keyport High School is a four-year public high school in Keyport, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, operated as the lone secondary school of the Keyport Public Schools. Students f ...
. He served in the U.S. Army during World War I, and graduated from Rutgers University in 1920. He received his law degree from Columbia University in 1923.
From 1925 to 1956, Hand practiced law in Elizabeth and Newark. He resided in
Roselle, New Jersey
Roselle (, ) is a borough located in Union County in the U.S. state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 21,085,Westfield, New Jersey
Westfield is a town in Union County, New Jersey, United States, located southwest of Manhattan. As of the 2010 United States census, the town's population was 30,316,New Jersey General Assembly representing Union County in 1928, and was re-elected in 1929, 1930 and 1931.
In 1930, Hand led a revolt among legislators frustrated that party leadership were not advancing their bills for votes on the floor.
He ran again for Assemblyman in 1942, and was re-elected in 1943.
Prosecutor
Hand served as an Assistant Union County Prosecutor, a part-time post, in 1944 and 1945.
Candidate for Congress
Following the death of U.S. Rep. Ernest Robinson Ackerman in 1931, Hand became a candidate for the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was defeated in a Special Primary Election by
Donald H. McLean
Donald Holman McLean (March 18, 1884, Paterson, New Jersey – August 19, 1975, Burlington, Vermont) was an American Republican Party politician who represented New Jersey's 6th congressional district in the United States House of Representat ...
, a former Secretary to U.S. Senator John Kean. McLean, running as a supporter of Prohibition, or as a "Dry" candidate, received 8,811 votes; Hand, running as a "Wet" candidate supporting the repeal of Prohibition, received 6,707 votes. Hand beat McLean in the Union County portion of the district, but lost to him in Morris County. John E. Nicol received 4,828 votes, Wesley Stanger, a "Dry" Republican who had lost to Ackerman in 1930, finished last with 1,776 votes. The Special Primary was held on November 17, 1931, allowing Hand to successfully seek a fourth term as Assemblyman a few weeks earlier.
In 1932, U.S. Rep.
Percy Hamilton Stewart
Percy Hamilton Stewart (January 10, 1867, Newark, New Jersey – June 30, 1951, Plainfield, New Jersey) was a Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for o ...
(D-Plainfield), a "Dripping Wet" candidate, gave up his seat one year after narrowly defeating McLean in the December Special Election, to run for the United States Senate. Hand and McLean again faced off in a Republican Primary, with McLean winning by slightly more than 10,000 votes—22,784 to 12,756. Hand gave up his Assembly seat to run for Congress.
New Jersey State Senator
When State Senator Herbert Pascoe retired in 1947, Hand became a candidate for the Senate. He defeated former Assemblywoman
Irene Griffin
Irene T. Griffin (July 25, 1899 – April 1983) was an American Republican Party politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly. She served one year in the Legislature, but became a bit of a perennial candidate, losing three races ...
in the Republican primary and easily won the General Election. He was re-elected in 1951 and 1955. His re-election in 1955 was by a 54%-46% margin against Democrat Robert Sheldon.
He was the Chairman of the Joint Appropriations Committee of the New Jersey Legislature in 1954.
Candidate for Governor
In 1953, Hand sought the Republican nomination for Governor of New Jersey. He finished third in a field of seven candidates, with 4% of the vote. In that primary, former New Jersey Turnpike Authority Chairman
Paul L. Troast
Paul Lyman Troast (November 19, 1894 – July 21, 1972) was a wealthy American building contractor from Passaic, New Jersey, chairman of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority during its construction, and failed gubernatorial candidate in 1953.
...
defeated State Senator
Malcolm Forbes
Malcolm Stevenson Forbes (August 19, 1919 – February 24, 1990) was an American entrepreneur most prominently known as the publisher of ''Forbes'' magazine, founded by his father B. C. Forbes. He was known as an avid promoter of capitalism ...
by a 52%-39% margin.
Judge
Hand resigned from the Senate in 1956 when Governor
Robert B. Meyner
Robert Baumle Meyner (July 3, 1908 – May 27, 1990) was an American Democratic Party politician and attorney who served as the 44th governor of New Jersey from 1954 to 1962. Before being elected governor, Meyner represented Warren County in th ...
appointed him to serve as a New Jersey Superior Court Judge. He remained on the bench until his retirement in 1969.
Family and death
His first wife, Ruth Gremmels Hand, died in 1950 at age 43. He later married Louise Dunden Dealaan, who died in 1964. He adopted her daughter, Louise Teel Dealaman Hand, known as Teel (1945–1980).
Hand spent his retirement years living in
Wildwood, New Jersey
Wildwood is a city in Cape May County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the Ocean City metropolitan statistical area and is a popular summer resort destination along the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's year-rou ...
. He died on April 9, 1988, less than a month before his 89th birthday. He is buried at the Evergreen Cemetery in
Hillside, New Jersey
Hillside is a township in Union County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, the township's population was 21,404, reflecting a decline of 343 (−1.6%) from the 21,747 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in ...