PUBLIC
NEW JERSEY
This category is for New Jerseyans
who have made their mark in the public eye, whether through politics,
law, space exploration or whatever.

Charles
Addams - b.
1912 d. 1988
Westfield, NJ
Cartoonist known
for his macabre work in the New Yorker. His
Addams Family cartoon was made into a television series and several big
screen movies.

Edwin
"Buzz" Aldrin - b. 1930
Montclair, NJ
Born in Montclair,
Aldrin became a fighter pilot in the Korean War, entering NASA's space
program in 1963. He is best known as the second human (Neil Armstrong
was first) to set foot on the moon.

Samuel
A. Alito, Jr. - b. 1950
Trenton, NJ
The latest New Jerseyan to be named to the US Supreme Court.

John Basilone - b. 1916 d. 1945
Raritan, NJ
Born in Buffalo, NY, Basilone grew up in Raritan.
He was an extensively-decorated Marine in World War 2, including the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration. He died in action at Iwo Jima, and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Thanks to numerous visitors for this suggestion.

William
Brennan -
b. 1906 d. 1997
Newark, NJ
US Supreme Court
justice. Nominated by President Eisenhower in 1956,
Brennan retired in 1990 due to ill health. One of the court's most
liberal justices, only Justice William O. Douglas wrote more opinions.

Aaron
Burr - b.
1756 d. 1836
Newark, NJ
Rising to the
office of Vice President of the United States, Burr is perhaps best known
for his 1804 duel with Alexander Hamilton in Weehawken, New Jersey, in
which Hamilton was fatally wounded.

Grover
Cleveland - b. 1837 d. 1908
Caldwell, NJ
Only President
to serve 2 non-consecutive terms, becoming the United States' 22nd and
24th Presidents. Lived in retirement in Princeton, New Jersey, where he
is buried. His birthplace
is still standing and is a museum.

Samuel
Colt - b.
1814 d. 1862
Paterson, NJ
Born and died in Connecticut,
Samuel Colt invented the multi-shot revolver that bears his name, opening
the Patent Arms Manufaturing Company that produced the gun in Paterson
in 1836.

Theodore
Draper (Word document) - b. 1912 d. 2006
Princeton, NJ
Born Theodore Dubinsky in Brooklyn, Draper
moved to Princeton in the 1960s. A well-known combative historian
and fiery social critic. Wrote many books, which you can find on Barnes
& Noble or Amazon.

Andrea
Dworkin -
b. 1946 d. 2005
Camden, NJ
A radical feminist
and writer,
known for her impassioned belief in social justice.

Thomas
A. Edison - b. 1847 d. 1931
West Orange, NJ
Born in Ohio,
Edison
did his most important work in Menlo Park and West Orange, both in New
Jersey. The laboratory in West Orange is a national monument.

Albert
Einstein - b. 1879 d. 1955
Princeton, NJ
Born in Germany,
Einstein was in California in 1933 when Adolf Hitler came to power in
Germany. Einstein never returned to Germany, and instead settled in Princeton,
NJ, where he died in 1955.

Louis
Freeh - b.
1950
Jersey City, NJ
The 10th Director of the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI), from 1993 to 2001.
Thanks to Edward Ohlbaum for this suggestion.

Milton
Friedman -
b. 1912 d. 2006
Rahway, NJ
Born in New York City, Friedman's parents moved to Rahway when he was
a year old. A Nobel Prize winner in Economics
(1976), he received his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University in
New Jersey.

Michael Graves - b. 1934
Princeton, NJ
Born in Indianapolis, Graves is a well-known architect and Professor of Architecture at Princeton University.
Thanks to Katrina for this suggestion.

Admiral
William "Bull" Halsey
- b. 1882 d. 1959
Elizabeth, NJ
Five star Navy admiral during World War II, Halsey
is one of only five men in American history to hold the title of 5-star
Fleet Admiral.
Thanks to Mike P. of Venice Beach, FL.

Garret
A. Hobart
- b. 1844 d. 1899
Long Branch, NJ
Elected Vice
President with President William McKinley in 1896. Hobart's
death in 1899 left a spot on the ticket for Teddy Roosevelt as Vice
President upon McKinley's re-election in 1900.

Toomas
Hendrik Ilves
- b. 1953
Leonia, NJ
Born in Stockholm, Sweden, Ilves is the current (2008) president
of Estonia, and graduated from leonia High School.
Thanks to Irene Kuhn for this suggestion.

George
Lakoff - b.
1941
Bayonne, NJ
Author, professor of cognitive linguistics at UC
Berkeley and Fellow
at the Rockridge Institute.
Thanks to Jersey
Guy for this suggestion.

Charles
A. Lindbergh
- b. 1902 d. 1974
Flemington, NJ
Born in Minnesota,
Lindbergh was the first person to fly solo and non-stop across the Atlantic
Ocean. Unfortunately, Lindbergh's connection to New Jersey is for the
trial of Bruno Richard Hauptmann who was tried and executed for the kidnaping
and murder of Lindbergh's infant son.

Clara
Maass - b.
1876 d. 1901
East Orange, NJ
Worked as an Army nurse during the Spanish-American War, died
at the age of 25 while participating in studies to understand
Yellow Fever. The US Postal Service issued a stamp in her honor on
the 100th Anniversary of her birth.
Thanks to Brian for this suggestion.

Annie
Oakley - b. 1860 d. 1926
Nutley, NJ
Born in Ohio, "Little Sure Shot" is perhaps the greatest woman
marksperson ever. Living quite an unconventional life, Annie and her husband
owned a home in Nutley and resided there in between her shows. The house
has since been demolished. Annie inspired the well-known musical "Annie
Get Your Gun".

Alice
Paul - b. 1885 d. 1977
Mt. Laurel, NJ
Alice
Stokes Paul was born to Quaker parents on a farm, Paulsdale in Mt.
Laurel, NJ. Paul
was a key figure in the passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the
right to vote. She authored the Equal Rights Amendment in 1923, initiated
the inclusion of gender equality in the United Nations Charter and led
a coalition that suceeded in adding equal gender rights to Title VII of
the 1964 Civil Rights Act. She died at the age of 92 in Moorestown, NJ.
Thanks to Kris Myers at the
Alice Paul Institute.

Zebulon
Pike - b.
1779 d. 1813
Lamberton, NJ
Soldier
and explorer, Pikes
Peak in Colorado is named after him.

Mark
Polansky -
b. 1956
Edison, NJ
Born in Paterson, raised in Edison, Commander
Polansky has served as a captain on the space shuttle.

Garrett
E. Reisman
- b. 1968
Parsippany, NJ
Born in Morristown and raised in Parsippany, Dr.
Reisman is an astrounaut, and a member of the international
space station crew.

Peter
Rodino - b. 1909 d. 2005
Newark, NJ
Served in Congress
for 40 years, presiding over the House impeachment hearings of President
Richard Nixon in 1973 and 1974.

Ida Rosenthal - b. 1886 d. 1973
Bayonne, NJ
Born in Minsk, Belarus,
Ida Rosenthal emigrated to America at age 18 and opened a dress shop named Maiden Form. She is generally credited with the invention of the modern brassiere.

Carl
Sagan - b. 1934 d. 1996
Rahway, NJ
Born in New York City, Sagan
- a world-reknowned astronomer - graduated from Rahway High School. Sagan
made many contributions to science, and is perhaps best known for hosting
the television series "Cosmos" and as founder of The
Planetary Society.
Thanks to Theresa for this suggestion.

Antonin
Scalia - b. 1936
Trenton, NJ
US Supreme Court
justice. Grew up on Long Island, nominated by President Reagan in 1986,
one of the most conservative justices.

H.
Norman Schwarzkopf - b. 1934
Trenton, NJ
Son of the founder
of the New Jersey State Police, General Schwarzkopf was commander of American
Forces in the Persian Gulf War in 1990-91
.
Russell "Rusty" Schweikart - b.1935
Neptune, NJ
Astronaut, the Lunar Module Pilot on the Apollo 9 mission.
Thanks to Matt McKay for this suggestion.

Walter
Schirra -
b. 1923 d. 2007
Hackensack, NJ
Raised in Englewood,
New Jersey, Schirra
was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. Schirra was the only one
who flew in all 3 pioneering space programs, Mercury, Gemini and Apollo.

Dr.
James Still
- b. 1812 d. 1882
Medford, NJ
Dr. Still was a physician
in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in the early years of the US. He penned
an autobiography, which I have yet to read. A
true NJ pioneer. Family info here.
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John Taylor - b. 1836 d. 1909
Hamilton Square, NJ
The developer of a New Jersey delicacy, Pork Roll, the most famous brand of which is Taylor Ham. If you can't find it in your local market, you can purchase pork roll online from several sellers, after conducting a simple Google search.
Thanks to Dave B. for this suggestion. Now, what's for dinner?

Gertrude Tompkins - b. 1912 d. 1944
Jersey City, NJ
Born in the JC, and grew up in Summit. The only still-missing WASP aviator from WW2. She was ferrying a P-51 Mustang from LA to the East Coast to be sent to the European Theater when she went missing. Give a thought for "Tommy" and her family, and the Rescue Squad still looking for her.

Alice
Waters - b.
1944
Chatham, NJ
One of the best known and
most influential chefs in the United States. Credited with creating
a culinary revolution in the 1970s. Founder and owner of Chez Panisse
in California.
Thanks to Johnny for this suggestion.

Brian
Williams - b. 1959
Middletown, NJ
Born in New York, Williams
moved to New Jersey with his family while in fifth grade. The anchor
for NBC Nightly News graduated from high school in Red Bank and also was
a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey.
Thanks to Tim Pascucci for this suggestion.

Woodrow
Wilson - b. 1856 d. 1924
Princeton, NJ
Born in Virginia,
Wilson graduated from Princeton University and become Princeton president
from 1902-1910. Wilson then became governor of New Jersey from 1911 to
1913 before becoming the 28th
President of the United States from 1913 to 1921.
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