John Kean (New Jersey)

John Kean
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 3rd district
In office March 4, 1883 – March 3, 1885
Preceded by	Miles Ross
Succeeded by	Robert Stockton Green
In office March 4, 1887 – March 3, 1889
Preceded by	Robert Stockton Green
Succeeded by	Jacob Augustus Geissenhainer
United States Senator from New Jersey (Class 1)
In office March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911
Preceded by	James Smith, Jr.
Succeeded by	James Edgar Martine
Personal details
Born	(1852-12-04)December 4, 1852 Elizabeth, New Jersey
Died	Elizabeth, New Jersey
Political party	Republican
Relations	Thomas Kean, grandnephew John Kean, great-grandfather Hamilton Fish Kean, brother Robert Winthrop Kean, nephew
Profession	Politician

John Kean (December 4, 1852 – November 4, 1914) was an American lawyer, banker and Republican Party politician from Elizabeth, New Jersey. He represented New Jersey in the U.S. Senate from 1899 to 1911 and served two separate terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1883 to 1885, and from 1887 to 1889. A member of the Kean family of politicians, 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 great-nephew was Governor Thomas Kean.

Biography

Born at Liberty Hall at present-day Kean University, then called "Ursino", near Elizabeth, New Jersey, he studied in private schools and attended Yale College. He graduated from the Columbia Law School, New York City, in 1875, and was 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 48th United States Congress (March 4, 1883 - March 4, 1885) to represent New Jersey's 3rd congressional district, but was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1884.

He was elected to the 50th United States Congress (March 4, 1887 - March 4, 1889), and again was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1888. He was named Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee in 1891, resigning the following year to run as the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey. He lost the 1892 gubernatorial race to Democrat George Theodore Werts. 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 4, 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.

External links

• John Kean at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• John Kean at Find a Grave
• Biography from John Kean at the Political Graveyard

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Miles Ross	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1883 – March 4, 1885	Succeeded by Robert Stockton Green
Preceded by Robert Stockton Green	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 3rd congressional district March 4, 1887 – March 4, 1889	Succeeded by Jacob Augustus Geissenhainer
United States Senate
Preceded by James Smith, Jr.	U.S. Senator (Class 1) from New Jersey March 4, 1899 – March 4, 1911 Served alongside: William J. Sewell, John F. Dryden, Frank O. Briggs	Succeeded by James Edgar Martine
Party political offices
Preceded by Garret Hobart	Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee 1891–1892	Succeeded by Franklin Murphy
Preceded by Edward Burd Grubb, Jr.	Republican Nominee for Governor of New Jersey 1892	Succeeded by John W. Griggs
Preceded by William Joyce Sewell	Republican Nominee for the U.S. Senate (Class 1) from New Jersey 1899, 1905, 1911	Succeeded by Joseph S. Frelinghuysen