Brendan Byrne
New Jersey governor, attorney
Born: April 1, 1924, in West Orange, New Jersey
Died: January 4, 2018, in Livingston, New Jersey
New Jersey Hall of Fame, Class of 2011: Public Service
A consequential figure on the New Jersey political scene for much of his adult life, Brendan Byrne left an indelible mark on the Garden State.
The son of a local public safety administrator, Byrne graduated from West Orange High School, where he was senior-class president, and briefly enrolled at Seton Hall University before joining the military in March 1943 at the height of World War II. Byrne served as a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Forces, receiving a Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals, and achieving the rank of first lieutenant.
Returning to civilian life, Byrne attended Princeton University, studying at the School of International and Public Affairs, and went on to Harvard Law School. After earning his degrees, he entered private practice as an attorney. In 1955, he entered the political realm with his appointment as assistant counselor to Governor Robert B. Meyner. By 1959, Meyner appointed Byrne chief prosecutor for Essex County; he was reappointed for another five-year term in 1964. From 1968-1970, be also served as president of the state’s Board of Public Utilities.
Byrne’s ascendance in public life continued in 1970 when Governor William T. Cahill appointed him to the Superior Court. In 1973, Byrne resigned his judgeship to run for governor as a Democrat. In November, Byrne won the gubernatorial race in a landslide.
Taking office in January 1974 as New Jersey’s 47th governor, Byrne wasted no time making his presence felt. In his first term, Byrne established the New Jersey Department of Energy as well as the Department of the Public Advocate, which could sue state agencies on the part of private citizens. He also imposed spending limits on various levels of government and, controversially, established the state’s first income tax.
As a candidate, Byrne had promised that he would not propose a state tax on income; as governor, he found it inevitable. Some 35 years later, during his 2011 induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, he joked about the tax, “You would have had it by now, anyway.”
Despite the uproar about the new tax, Byrne—an expert politician known for his great wit and unassailable integrity–was reelected to a second term in 1977. This time around, his keynote achievement would be passage of the Pinelands Protection Act. He also oversaw expansion of major highways; improvements of local sewer systems; and further development of the Meadowlands Sports Complex. In addition, he backed a successful referendum to bring casino development in Atlantic City.
Following his two-term tenure as the state’s chief executive, Byrne returned to private law practice but remained a visible presence on the political scene. For many years, he co-wrote a column on state politics for the Star-Ledger newspaper with his friend and gubernatorial successor Tom Kean. Byrne also taught at Princeton and Rutgers universities.
Byrne’s legacy is felt throughout the state. For many years, the Meadowlands arena was named the Brendan Byrne Arena. In South Jersey, the Brendan T. Byrne State Forest honors his contribution to Pinelands preservation.
At his Hall of Fame induction, Byrne declared, “New Jersey is a different place because I was here.” It was a politician’s boast with which no one could argue.