Robert Baumle Meyner (July 3, 1908 – May 27, 1990) was an American

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

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 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, ...

from 1948 to 1951.

Early life

Meyner was born on July 3, 1908 in Easton, Pennsylvania, to Gustave Herman Meyner, Sr. (1878–1950) and Maria Sophia Bäumle (1881–1968). His father was a

German American German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

silk worker from Manchester, New Hampshire. His mother was German, but born in Birsfelden near Basel, in Switzerland, to Robert Bäumle from Harpolingen, Baden and to Franziska Oliva Thüring from Istein, Baden. Robert had an older brother, Gustave Herman Meyner Jr. (1907–1996). He also had a younger sister, Olive F. Meyner Wagner (1913–1982). In 1916, the Meyner family moved across the state border to Phillipsburg, New Jersey. They briefly settled in

Paterson, New Jersey Paterson ( ) is the largest City (New Jersey), city in and the county seat of Passaic County, New Jersey, Passaic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. While still in school, Meyner had been employed as an apprentice Coremaking, coremaker by the Warren Foundry and Pipe Corporation and Ingersoll Rand. During his college years, Meyner was employed as a weaver by the Gunning Silk Company. Following his graduation from Columbia, Meyner found employment as a law clerk in Union City, New Jersey, Union City. He was employed by J. Emil Walscheid and Milton Rosenkranz from February, 1933 to April, 1936.

Career

Meyner returned to Phillipsburg in 1936, where he quickly became a well-known trial lawyer. During World War II, Meyner served as an officer in the United States Navy, Navy, and he was discharged with the rank of lieutenant commander.

New Jersey Senate

Meyner's prominent involvement in civic and social affairs, as well as the recognition it generated, helped him in 1941 during his first bid for elected office. He lost a campaign for a seat in the New Jersey Senate by only fifty votes. After a failed run for federal office, he was elected to the state senate in 1947. Though he was the Senate Minority Leader in 1950, Meyner lost his seat in the election of 1952.

Governor of New Jersey

The ailing New Jersey

chose Meyner as its gubernatorial candidate in 1953, and he achieved a surprise victory, boosted by a minor scandal surrounding his opponent, Paul L. Troast. Meyner's first term was marked by strong support for state education and a general restructuring of the government. While in his first term as governor, Meyner uncovered Employment Security Division Director (and former governor) Harold G. Hoffman's massive corruption scam, and suspended Hoffman on March 18, 1954. Meyner defeated Malcolm Forbes handily in 1957 in his bid for re-election. Meyner left office in January 1962. At the time, New Jersey's New Jersey State Constitution, constitution prohibited governors from serving more than two consecutive terms, but did not place a limit on the total number of terms. After his Democratic successor, Richard J. Hughes had served two terms and was unable to run for a third, the Democratic Party turned back to Meyner as their gubernatorial candidate in 1969. But after 16 years of Democratic administrations, Republican Party (United States), Republican William T. Cahill won election over Meyner.

Presidential campaign

In 1958, ''Time Magazine'' recognized Meyner as a potential candidate for the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination and featured him on the cover of their November 24 edition of that year (along with five other noteworthy Democrats, including John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson). At the 1960 United States presidential election, 1960 Democratic National Convention Meyner received 43 votes for president, finishing fifth behind John F. Kennedy (806 votes), Lyndon Johnson (409 votes), Stuart Symington (86 votes) and Adlai Stevenson II, Adlai Stevenson (79.5 votes) and just ahead of Hubert Humphrey who received 41 votes.

Later career

In 1962, Meyner and Stephen B. Wiley formed the law firm of Meyner and Wiley in Newark, New Jersey.

Marriage

Meyner married Helen Stevenson Meyner on January 19, 1957 in Oberlin, Ohio. Helen Meyner served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 until 1979.

Death

Meyner had a stroke in 1986 and died on May 27, 1990, in Captiva, Florida.

References

External links

New Jersey Governor Robert Baumie Meyner
National Governors Association
"Dead Governors of New Jersey" biography for Robert B. Meyner

The Political Graveyard. {{DEFAULTSORT:Meyner, Robert B. 1908 births 1990 deaths United States Navy personnel of World War II American people of German descent American Protestants Democratic Party governors of New Jersey Democratic Party New Jersey state senators Politicians from Easton, Pennsylvania People from Phillipsburg, New Jersey Phillipsburg High School (New Jersey) alumni Lafayette College alumni Columbia Law School alumni United States Navy officers Candidates in the 1960 United States presidential election 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American Episcopalians Military personnel from Pennsylvania Military personnel from New Jersey