Robert B. Meyner
Robert B. Meyner | |
|---|---|
| 44th Governor of New Jersey | |
| In office January 19, 1954 – January 16, 1962 | |
| Preceded by | Alfred E. Driscoll |
| Succeeded by | Richard J. Hughes |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate from Warren County | |
| In office 1948–1952 | |
| Preceded by | Harry Runyon |
| Succeeded by | Wayne Dumont |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Baumle Meyner July 3, 1908 Easton, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | May 27, 1990 (aged 81) Captiva, Florida, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Alma mater | Lafayette College Columbia Law School |
Robert Baumle Meyner (/ˈmaɪnər/ MY-nur; 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 the New Jersey Senate from 1948 to 1951.
As governor, Meyner reformed the New Jersey Democratic Party to move away from the domination of the Frank Hague political machine and political corruption scandals of the 1940s and 1950s and restructured state government to centralize and economize its administration. He was broadly popular as governor and is remembered for increasing the efficiency state government without instituting a sales or income tax through increased revenues from existing taxes. Politically liberal, Meyner opposed McCarthyism and criticized President Dwight D. Eisenhower while defending civil liberties and civil rights. In 1960, he unsuccessfully ran for the Democratic nomination for president as a favorite son candidate but finished fifth behind John F. Kennedy.