2020 Honoree

Tom Kean

Tom Kean’s political career started in 1967 when he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly. Kean’s interest in politics goes all the way back to his visit to the 1948 Republic National Convention. He soon after began to write a semi-weekly political column for his school newspaper called “Sound and Fury.” In 1981, with an endorsement from Gerald Ford, Tom Kean was elected the governor of New Jersey. He won the closest gubernatorial election in New Jersey history. By the time he ran again in 1985, Kean won by the largest margin in state history and gaining 70 percent of the vote. After his time as New Jersey governor, Kean was appointed as president of Drew University where he focused on upgrading the facilities and academic programs. During his time at Drew University, Kean involved himself in national politics. In 2002, Kean was selected to lead the 9/11 Commission, which was responsible for a detailed overview of how the United States prepared and responded to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.