Thomas Kean

Thomas Kean
Kean in 2018
President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York
Acting
April 15, 2021 – January 2023
Served with Janet L. Robinson
Preceded byVartan Gregorian
Succeeded byLouise Richardson
Chair of the 9/11 Commission
In office
December 15, 2002 – August 21, 2004
PresidentGeorge W. Bush
DeputyLee Hamilton
Preceded byHenry Kissinger
Succeeded byPosition abolished
10th President of Drew University
In office
1990–2005
Preceded byPaul Hardin III
Succeeded byRobert Weisbuch
48th Governor of New Jersey
In office
January 19, 1982 – January 16, 1990
Preceded byBrendan Byrne
Succeeded byJames Florio
Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly
In office
1972–1973
Preceded byBarry T. Parker
Succeeded byS. Howard Woodson
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
In office
1968 – 1978
Served with Philip Kaltenbacher (1967–1974)
Jane Burgio (1974–1977)
Preceded byProportional representation
Succeeded byFrederic Remington
Constituency11-F (1968–1972)
11-E (1972–1974)
25th (1974–1978)
Personal details
Born
Thomas Howard Kean

(1935-04-21) April 21, 1935 (age 89)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
(m. 1967; died 2020)
Children3, including Tom Jr.
EducationPrinceton University (BA)
Columbia University (MA)

Thomas Howard Kean (/ˈkn/ KAYN;[1] born April 21, 1935) is an American politician, statesman, and academic administrator from the state of New Jersey. A Republican, Kean served as the 48th governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990.

Kean is a member of the Kean political family. His father, Robert Kean, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and his grandfather, Hamilton Fish Kean, was a U.S. senator. After graduating from Princeton University, Kean worked as a history teacher and obtained a master's degree from Teachers College at Columbia University. He served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1968 to 1978 and held the role of speaker of the Assembly from 1972 to 1973. In 1981, Kean was elected governor of New Jersey; he was re-elected in 1985. A moderate Republican, Kean is regarded as a popular governor who promoted New Jersey tourism.

Following his two terms as governor, Kean served as president of Drew University from 1990 until 2005. After the September 11 attacks, Kean was appointed by President George W. Bush as chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the 9/11 Commission. On July 22, 2004, Kean and the commission released their findings in the 9/11 Commission Report.

Kean is the father of U.S. Representative Thomas Kean Jr.

  1. ^ Felzenberg, p. 5.