N.J. Admin. Code § Executive Order No. 90 (2019)
Governor Philip D. Murphy
Executive Order No. 90 (2019)
A Tribute to the Life and Passing of United States Representative William J. Hughes
Issued: November 3, 2019.
Effective: November 3, 2019.
WHEREAS, United States Representative William J. Hughes was born on October 17, 1932, in Salem, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, Representative Hughes graduated from Penns Grove High School in 1950 and went on to earn a Bachelor's degree from Rutgers University and a Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School; and
WHEREAS, Representative Hughes was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1959 and commenced his legal career in public service as the town solicitor for Upper Township, New Jersey; and
WHEREAS, in 1960, Representative Hughes was appointed Assistant Prosecutor for Cape May County and served as First Assistant Prosecutor from 1961 to 1970; and
WHEREAS, in 1972, Representative Hughes was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics; and
WHEREAS, Representative Hughes was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1974, where he served for twenty years representing New Jersey's Second District in Congress; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure in the House, Representative Hughes served as a member of the House Judiciary Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Crime from 1981 to 1990; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure as Chair of the Subcommittee on Crime, Representative Hughes played a key role in implementing legislation that sought to reduce the criminal use of firearms, including his namesake Hughes Amendment to the Firearms Owners Protection Act, which banned the sale of machine guns manufactured after 1986; and
WHEREAS, Representative Hughes also served as a champion of environmental preservation in Congress, devoting significant efforts to protecting New Jersey's pinelands and ocean quality; and
WHEREAS, following Representative Hughes's retirement from the House of Representatives, he was subsequently appointed as the United States Ambassador to Panama in 1995 by President Bill Clinton; and
WHEREAS, during Representative Hughes' three years as Ambassador, he oversaw the historic turnover of the Panama Canal to Panamanian control, led efforts to secure Panamanian boarders, and significantly reduced the prevalence of drug smuggling and illicit financial transactions throughout the country; and
WHEREAS, following the conclusion of Representative Hughes's service as Ambassador, he devoted his life to academia, lecturing at several postsecondary institutions throughout New Jersey, including Stockton University, which created the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy in 2008; and
WHEREAS, Representative Hughes's presence will be sorely missed by his family, including his four children and ten grandchildren, his countless friends, his colleagues, and by the people of New Jersey whom he served so well; and
WHEREAS, it is with great sorrow that we mourn the passing of Representative Hughes and extend our deepest sympathy to his family, friends, and colleagues; and
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to honor the exemplary character, outstanding achievements, and cherished memory of Representative Hughes and to mark his passing;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, PHILIP D. MURPHY, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
N.J. Admin. Code Executive Order No. 90 (2019)