Alfred E. Driscoll

Alfred Eastlack Driscoll (October 25, 1902 – March 9, 1975) was an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey Senate (1939–1941) representing Camden County, who served as the 43rd governor of New Jersey, and as president of Warner-Lambert (now a part of Pfizer).

Alfred Driscoll
Driscoll in November 1956
43rd Governor of New Jersey
In office January 21, 1947 – January 19, 1954
Preceded by	Walter Evans Edge
Succeeded by	Robert B. Meyner
Member of the New Jersey Senate from Camden County
In office 1939–1941
Preceded by	Albert E. Burling
Succeeded by	Bruce A. Wallace
Personal details
Born	(1902-10-25)October 25, 1902 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 9, 1975(1975-03-09) (aged 72) Haddonfield, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Antoinette Ware Tatem ​ ​ (m. 1932)​

Early life and education

Driscoll was born on October 25, 1902, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and graduated from Haddonfield Memorial High School in 1921.^[1] He attended Williams College, where he graduated in 1925. In 1928, he was awarded an LL.B. degree from Harvard University.^[2]

Career

He served as Governor of New Jersey from 1947 to 1954 where he was a proponent for the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.^[1] From the time of their construction, these two major transportation links would transform the agrarian "Garden State" into the most densely populated state in the union. The Driscoll Bridge on the Garden State Parkway across the Raritan River was named in his honor, and a failed planned extension of the New Jersey Turnpike, similar in nature to the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Northeast Extension, would have also borne his name. Driscoll served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention from New Jersey in 1948 and 1952, and he was considered for the vice presidential nomination at the 1952 convention.^[3]

Driscoll, a Republican, gave William J. Brennan Jr., a Democrat, his first judicial appointment in 1949, when he appointed him to a seat on the New Jersey Superior Court. In 1951, Driscoll promoted Brennan to the Supreme Court of New Jersey, where he served until appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.^[4]

Driscoll died on March 9, 1975, at his home in Haddonfield, New Jersey.^[1] Although he was a Presbyterian, Driscoll was buried at the Haddonfield Baptist Churchyard.^[2]

See also

• Biography portal

• List of governors of New Jersey

References

1. via Associated Press. "Alfred Driscoll Of Jersey Is Dead; First Two-Term Governor Initiated the Turnpike and Judicial Reform", The New York Times, March 9, 1975. Accessed January 23, 2024. "Haddonfield, N.J., March 9 (AP)—Former Gov. Alfred E. Driscoll died here today of a heart attack at his home. He was 72 years old.... After having attended the Haddonfield public schools, he was graduated from Haddonfield High School in 1921, Williams College in 1925 and the Harvard Law School in 1928."
2. Gov. Alfred Eastlack Driscoll, National Governors Association. Accessed January 23, 2024. "Alfred E. Driscoll, the sixtieth governor of New Jersey, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 25, 1902. His education was attained at Williams College, where he graduated in 1925, and at Harvard University, where he earned an LL.B. degree in 1928. After establishing his legal career, Driscoll entered into politics. From 1938 to 1941 he served as a member of the New Jersey State Senate; and in 1941 he was named the State Alcoholic Beverage Control Commissioner."
3. Bowen, Michael (2011). The Roots of Modern Conservatism: Dewey, Taft, and the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of North Carolina Press. p. 149. ISBN 9780807834855.
4. About Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey. Accessed January 23, 2024. "In 1949, New Jersey Governor Alfred E. Driscoll appointed Brennan to the New Jersey Superior Court, and two years later, to the New Jersey Supreme Court, where he served until President Eisenhower nominated him to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1956."

External links

• Biography of Alfred E. Driscoll (PDF), New Jersey State Library

Political offices
Preceded by Walter E. Edge	Governor of New Jersey January 21, 1947 – January 19, 1954	Succeeded by Robert B. Meyner
Party political offices
Preceded by Walter Evans Edge	Republican Nominee for Governor of New Jersey 1946, 1949	Succeeded by Paul L. Troast
Non-profit organization positions
Preceded by William Collins	President of the National Municipal League December, 1962–1970	Succeeded by William W. Scranton