Peter Hood Ballantine Frelinghuysen Jr. (January 17, 1916 – May 23, 2011) was an American politician and attorney. He represented

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

's fifth congressional district in the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from 1953 to 1975.

Early life and education

Frelinghuysen was born in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen and the former Adaline Havemeyer. Frelinghuysen's father was a banker who descended from 18th century Dutch settlers in Somerset County. His siblings included his twin brother Henry O.H. Frelinghuysen, a philanthropist and civic leader, George G. Frelinghuysen, and Frederica Frelinghuysen Emert. He came from a long line of New Jersey politicians dating back to the early years of the United States, including four United States senators and two House members. He was the grandson of

George Griswold Frelinghuysen George Griswold Frelinghuysen (May 9, 1851 – April 21, 1936) was an American patent lawyer, and president of P. Ballantine & Sons Company, a New Jersey brewery. Early life Frelinghuysen was born in Newark, New Jersey on May 9, 1851. He was ...

, great-grandson of

Frederick T. Frelinghuysen Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen (August 4, 1817May 20, 1885) was an American lawyer and politician from New Jersey who served as a U.S. Senator and later as United States Secretary of State under President Chester A. Arthur. Early life and ...

, the great-great-nephew of

Theodore Frelinghuysen Theodore Frelinghuysen (March 28, 1787April 12, 1862) was an American politician who represented New Jersey in the United States Senate. He was the Whig vice presidential nominee in the election of 1844, running on a ticket with Henry Clay. Bo ...

, and the great-great-great-grandson of Frederick Frelinghuysen. He was also a great-great-grandson of

Ballantine Brewery P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company was an American brewery founded in 1840, making Ballantine one of the oldest brands of beer in the United States. At its peak, it was the 3rd largest brewer in the US. The brand is currently owned and ope ...

founder

Peter Ballantine Peter Ballantine (November 16, 1791 – January 23, 1883) was the founder of Patterson & Ballantine Brewing Company in 1840 in Newark, New Jersey, United States. Early life He was born on November 16, 1791, in Dundee, Scotland. He decided t ...

. Frelinghuysen attended St. Mark's School in

Southborough, Massachusetts Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps, though ...

before graduating from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in 1938 and

Yale Law School Yale Law School (Yale Law or YLS) is the law school of Yale University, a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was established in 1824 and has been ranked as the best law school in the United States by ''U ...

in 1941.

Career

After practicing law in New York City, he served in the

Office of Naval Intelligence The Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) is the military intelligence agency of the United States Navy. Established in 1882 primarily to advance the Navy's modernization efforts, it is the oldest member of the U.S. Intelligence Community and serves ...

from September 1942 to December 1945 obtaining the rank of lieutenant. He then studied at

Columbia University Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...

, 1946–1947. He served as staff of the Foreign Affairs Task Force of the

Hoover Commission The Hoover Commission, officially named the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government, was a body appointed by President Harry S. Truman in 1947 to recommend administrative changes in the Federal Government of the Unite ...

in 1948 before returning to the private sector. He served as director of Howard Savings Bank in

Livingston, New Jersey Livingston is a township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, 2010 U.S. census, the township's population was 29,366, reflecting an increase of 1,975 (+7.2%) from the ...

U.S. Congress

In 1952, he was elected to the House of Representatives from

New Jersey's 5th congressional district New Jersey's 5th congressional district is represented by Democrat Josh Gottheimer, who has served in Congress since 2017. The district stretches across the entire northern border of the state and contains most of Bergen County, as well as part ...

and served there until his retirement from politics in 1975. As a moderate Republican, Frelinghuysen voted in favor of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957,

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch ...

, and

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

, as well as the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the

Voting Rights Act of 1965 The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson during the height of the civil rights movement ...

, but not the Johnson administration's

War on Poverty The war on poverty is the unofficial name for legislation first introduced by United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his State of the Union address on January 8, 1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to a national p ...

programs. In December 1959, when the

Port of New York Authority The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, PANYNJ; stylized, in logo since 2020, as Port Authority NY NJ, is a joint venture between the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, established in 1921 through an interstate compact authorized b ...

's plans to develop a tract of woodlands and marsh near his estate in Morris County as an international airport serving the New York City region were exposed, Frelinghuysen participated in the opposition by the Jersey Jetport Site Association that was composed of local residents and conservationists, which raised funds to purchase almost 3,000 acres of the targeted site and donated it to the federal government, to be preserved forever as park lands. With the defeat of the airport development initiative, that parcel became the initial portion of the

Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is located in Morris County, New Jersey. Established in 1960, it now is among what has grown to be more than 550 refuges in the United States National Wildlife Refuge System. The initial portion of the ...

, established by federal statute on November 3, 1960, in the middle of the development controversy. In January 1965, he was House Minority Leader

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

's choice for Minority Whip, but lost on a secret ballot of the Republican caucus by a vote of 70 to 59 to the incumbent Les Arends, who had held the post since 1943.

1966 blackmail incident

In 1966, extortionists targeted Frelinghuysen for blackmail, arranging for him to have a sexual encounter with an underage male and then, posing as police officers, threatening him with public exposure. Frelinghuysen paid them $50,000. He later cooperated with the FBI's investigation of the extortionist ring, but the

Justice Department A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

notified the leadership of the House of Representatives and Frelinghuysen was forced off the Armed Services Committee.

Later life

After leaving Congress, Frelinghuysen served on the boards of several nonprofit institutions, including the

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

and the

New York Botanical Garden The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is a botanical garden at Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York City. Established in 1891, it is located on a site that contains a landscape with over one million living plants; the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, ...

Personal life

He married the former Beatrice Sterling Procter, in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, on September 7, 1940. She was a descendant of the founder of

Procter & Gamble The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer hea ...

. Their children include Peter Frelinghuysen II, a lawyer, and Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, a former congressman. They lived in a 20-room Georgian Colonial home on 32 acres in

Harding Township, New Jersey Harding Township is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan area. The township was formed as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on Sep ...

Notes

References

External links

*
Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen Papers at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Frelinghuysen, Peter Jr. 1916 births 2011 deaths People from Harding Township, New Jersey Princeton University alumni Yale Law School alumni

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

Havemeyer family American people of Dutch descent St. Mark's School (Massachusetts) alumni United States Navy officers People of the Office of Naval Intelligence Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey Articles containing video clips 20th-century American politicians American people of German descent American people of Scottish descent