Governor Thomas H. Kean Collection
Finding Aid

Collection arranged by Meghan Scrimgeour, Christina McKitish, and Rebecca Rego Barry, Summer 2004

Updated Spring 2006

Biographical Note

Thomas H. Kean was born on April 21, 1935. Kean received his B.A. degree from Princeton University and his M.A. from Columbia University Teachers College. He taught private school in Massachusetts before entering politics.

Kean was a member of the New Jersey Assembly from 1968-1977. He was elected governor of New Jersey in 1982. As Governor, Kean was rated among America's five most effective state leaders by Newsweek magazine; noted for tax cuts that spurred 750,000 new jobs; a federally replicated welfare reform program; landmark environmental policies, and over 30 education reforms. He delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Republican National Convention. He was re-elected for a second term by the largest margin in state history. Kean served on the President's Education Policy Advisory Committee and as chair of the Education Commission of the States and the National Governor's Association Task Force on Teaching. He holds more than 25 honorary degrees and numerous awards from environmental and educational organizations.

In 1990, after completing two terms in office, Kean became president of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. While President of Drew, Kean has served on several national committees and commissions. He headed the American delegation to the UN Conference on Youth in Thailand, served as Vice Chairman of the American delegation to the World Conference on Women in Beijing; and served as a member of the President's Initiative on Race. He also served on the National Endowment for Democracy. He is chair of the Newark Alliance and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and former chair of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Educate America, and the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation.

On December 16, 2002, Kean was named by President George W. Bush to head the national commission to investigate the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Kean is on the board of a number of organizations including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund. He is also the author of The Politics of Inclusion, published by the Free Press. He writes a regular column for The Star Ledger with former Governor Brendan Byrne and appears as a regular commentator on New Jersey Network News. His wife is the former Deborah Bye of Wilmington, Delaware. They have twin sons, Tom and Reed, and a daughter, Alexandra. The Keans live in Bedminster, New Jersey.

Scope Note

The Governor Thomas H. Kean Collection broadly consists of the records created during the governor's two terms of office in New Jersey, from 1982-1990. Included are the full run of his legislative briefing binders, records from trips and conferences, typescript copies of speeches, photographs, correspondence, office files, material on the issue of education, press releases and news clips, and related records. A small percentage of the records were created in the 1990s during Kean's presidency of Drew University.

Summary

Title: Governor Thomas H. Kean Collection

Quantity: 125 boxes

Format of Materials: Papers, photographs, videotapes, audiotape

Location: Methodist Library, Drew University

Arranged by: Meghan Scrimgeour and Christina McKitish, under the supervision of Rebecca Rego Barry, August 2004

Note on Arrangement

Series I. Legislative Material.This series contains three subseries: a) legislative briefing binders from Kean's two terms as governor of New Jersey; b) travel binders from same; c) town meetings from same. Subseries a and b were retained in original binders and are filed chronologically. The binders were treated for mold and water damage in July 2004. All paper clips throughout the Kean collection were replaced with stainless steel clips. Note: the binder for Jan. 19-31, 1987 appears to be missing from the collection. Subseries c contains the notes and records of town meetings. They are housed in acid-free folders and filed chronologically.

Series II. NGA/RGA/CONEG [National Governor's Association, Regional Governor's Association, Coalition of Northeastern Governors]. This series contains three subseries: a) NGA; b) RGA; c) CONEG. Each contains meeting notes for the association conferences. The material is filed chronologically within subseries. All material was rehoused in acid-free folders due to the poor condition of the binders. Textual loss occurred in one NGA binder (February 25-28, 1989) due to extreme mold damage.

Series III. Speeches and Writings. This series contains two subseries: a) speeches in typescript; b) writings. The majority of this series is speeches. Speeches are filed chronologically, usually one per folder, as in the original organization. An index of speeches is available at the front of Box 87. Several folders of Kean's writings - news/magazine articles and position papers - follow the speeches in Box 110. Material was completely rehoused in acid-free folders.

Series IV. Photographs. This series contains three subseries: a) photos by subject; b) contact sheets; c) oversize photos. Photos in subseries a were rehoused in mylar sheets and are arranged by subject. A list of the subjects (folder titles) is provided in the following container listing. Contact sheets were rehoused from binders into acid-free folders. Oversize photos are also rehoused in mylar and boxed separately in Box 116 to accommodate their size.

Series V. Correspondence. The correspondence is filed chronologically. Some files are further categorized as "congratulatory letters" or correspondences with distinguished correspondents. This is the original organization. A list of the folder titles is provided in the following container listing.

Series VI. Office Files. This series contains a small amount of general office files, c. 1990s. Material was rehoused in acid-free folders, original folder titles and organization were retained, and a list of folder titles is provided in the following container listing.

Series VII. Education. This series contains meeting records related to the Carnegie Forum, ECS (Education Commission of the State), National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, National Teachers Forum, President's Education Summit and U.S. Dept. of Education. There are also files on Educate America and NASDC (New American Schools Development Corporation). Includes six videotapes on NASDC and Supercamp. The meeting records in binders were rehoused in acid-free folders and filed chronologically.

Series VIII. Public Relations. This series contains four subseries: a) news releases; b) publications; c) magazine & news clips; d) accomplishments & awards. Material is filed chronologically when dates are available. Subseries B consist of professionally produced "inhouse" publications produced by Kean's office or Kean-affiliated organizations. Two copies were kept of any publication whenever possible. Original newspaper clippings were photocopied onto acid-free paper when necessary. Binders of collected photocopied news clippings were rehoused in acid-free folders. Subseries D contains files on Kean's accomplishments as well as awards given and/or received by Kean, including the Governor's Awards.

Series IX. Miscellaneous/Ephemera. This series contains miscellaneous or ephemeral material.

An item-level list is provided in the following container listing.

Title page artwork from collection, Series IX, Box 124