John Kean (New Jersey)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Kean (December 4, 1852 – November 4, 1914) was an American lawyer, banker and politician from Elizabeth, New Jersey. He represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate from 1899 to 1911. A member of the Kean family of politicans, his great-grandfather, John Kean, had been a delegate to the Continental Congress for South Carolina, his brother was US Senator Hamilton Fish Kean, his nephew was US Representative Robert Winthrop Kean and his grand-nephew was Governor Thomas Kean.

Born at "Ursino" near Elizabeth, New Jersey; studied in private schools and attended Yale College; graduated from the Columbia Law School, New York City, in 1875; admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1877, but did not engage in extensive practice.

He worked in banking and manufacturing before entering politics. He was elected as a Republican to the Forty-eighth United States Congress (March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1885) to represent New Jersey's 3rd congressional district, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1884.

He was elected to the Fiftieth United States Congress (March 4, 1887 - March 3, 1889), and again was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888. He unsuccessfully ran as the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1892. He was a member of the committee to revise the judiciary system of New Jersey.

He was elected to the United States Senate in 1899 and reelected in 1905, serving in the Senate from March 4, 1899 to March 3, 1911. He was chairman of the Committee on the Geological Survey (Fifty-seventh United States Congress) and Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expenses (Fifty-eighth United States Congress through Sixty-first United States Congress).

After politics, he re-engaged in banking in Elizabeth, New Jersey. He died at "Ursino" and was interred in Evergreen Cemetery, in Hillside, New Jersey.

Keansburg, New Jersey is named in honor of John Kean. In 1884, Kean played a key part in helping the town, at the time called Granville, to obtain its first post office. During that year, the name Keansburg was adopted.

[edit] External links

Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
Biography from John Kean at the Political Graveyard

This article incorporates facts obtained from the public domain Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

Preceded by Miles Ross	U.S. Representative from New Jersey New Jersey's 3rd congressional district 1883–1885	Succeeded by Robert Stockton Green
Preceded by Robert Stockton Green	U.S. Representative from New Jersey New Jersey's 3rd congressional district 1887–1889	Succeeded by Jacob Augustus Geissenhainer
Preceded by James Smith, Jr.	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey 1899–1911	Succeeded by James E. Martine