Richard J. Hughes papers
Mss 0003
The Monsignor Field Archives & Special Collection Center
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60.0 Linear feet
1956-1979
Richard J. Hughes (1909-1992) was Governor of New Jersey 1962-1970, Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court 1974-1979, and an active member of the Democratic Party in New Jersey. The Richard J. Hughes papers contain the professional and personal papers of Richard J. Hughes from his time as Governor of New Jersey and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and from his other political and professional activities.
Hughes, Richard J., (Richard Joseph), 1909-1992
Biographical/Historical note
Richard Joseph Hughes was born 10 August 1909, in Florence, N.J., the son of Richard P. Hughes, mayor of Burlington. Richard J. Hughes attended St. Joseph's College in Philadelphia and the New Jersey Law School, now a part of Rutgers University. He became involved in politics, working on Frankiln D. Roosevelt's campaigns in the 1930s and serving as Mercer County Democratic chairman in the 1940s. After working for the United States Attorney for New Jersey, the Mercer County Court, the Superior Court, where he headed a study that led to revisions in the state's system for dealing with juvenile offenders, he was appointed to the Appellate Division of Superior Court in 1957 before leaving to enter private practice.
In 1961 Mr. Hughes was selected as the Democratic party candidate for the office of Governor of New Jersey. He defeated Republican Secretary of Labor James P. Mitchell on a platform that focused on state needs. Once in office, Mr. Hughes pushed a bond measure that was defeated and introduced legislation to create a state income tax, which was delayed until after the next gubernatorial election. In Richard Hughes' 1965 campaign, running against Republican State Senator Wayne Dumont, taxation was a major issue, as was the controversial statement by a Rutgers professor on the war in Vietnam. After winning re-election, Mr. Hughes again focused on income tax legislation, which was narrowly defeated.
After leaving office in 1970, Richard Hughes worked with the American Bar Association before being named Chief Justice of the New Jersey State Supreme Court by Governor William T. Cahill in 1974. As Chief Justice, Mr. Hughes handed down decisions with far-reaching impact, including stepping into the struggle between Governor Brendan T. Byrne and the state legislature regarding a state income tax, forcing a decision that was made in favor of the tax, and deciding in favor of the parents of Karen Ann Quinlan in their case to remove their comatose daughter from life support, expanding the rights of individuals or their guardians to refuse medical treatment.
Mr. Hughes was also a delegate for New Jersey to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and 1972.
Richard Hughes married Miriam McGregory in 1935 and the couple had four children. Miriam Hughes died in 1950. In 1954, he met Elizabeth Sullivan Murphy, a widow with three children; they married in 1955 and had three children. Several of Richard Hughes' children and step-children have become involved in New Jersey law and politics, including Michael Murphy, a prominent lobbyist who was previously the Morris County Prosecutor; John Hughes, a Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey; Brian M. Hughes, the elected County Executive of Mercer County.
Richard J. Hughes died 7 December 1992 in Boca Raton, Florida.
Sources:
Richard J. Hughes, Governor and Judge, Dies at 83, New York Times obituary by Joseph F. Sullivan, 8 December 1992.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/08/us/richard-j-hughes-governor-and-judge-dies-at-83.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm;
Richard J. Hughes, Wikipedia article, accessed 12 February 2013.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_J._Hughes
Related Archival Materials note
Brendan Byrne papers, 1960-1982 (bulk 1973-1977), Mss 0007, in the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Walsh Library, Seton Hall University.
Governor Richard J. Hughes (served 1962-1970), at the New Jersey State Archives. These materials were produced by Richard Hughes as Governor of New Jersey and are primarily related to his functions in that office.
Processing Information note
Preliminary inventory and processing by Peter Wosh and the Archives and Special Collections Center in 1983. Finding aid based on preliminary inventory created by Tracy M. Jackson, 2013.
Preferred Citation note
[Item], in the Richard J. Hughes papers, 1956-1979, Mss0003, Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Collection is the gift of Richard J. Hughes to the Archives and Special Collections Center in 1980, 1982, and 1988. Accession numbers 1982.0001, 1982.0002, and 1988.0001.Mss.
Conditions Governing Use
All materials available in this collection (unless otherwise noted) are the property of the Monsignor William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center and Seton Hall University, which reserves the right to limit access to or reproduction of these materials. Reproduction of materials or content is subject to United States copyright restrictions and may be subject to federal or state privacy regulations. Permission to publish exact reproductions must be obtained from the Director of the Archives and Special Collections Center.
Scope and Contents note
The Richard J. Hughes papers contain the professional and personal papers of Richard J. Hughes from his time as Governor of New Jersey and Chief Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and from his other political and professional activities.
The majority of the collection dates from Mr. Hughes' time as Governor of New Jersey, 1961-1969, and includes correspondence, speeches and public statements, schedules of appearances and events, subject files, scrapbooks, photographs, and ephemera. Materials from Mr. Hughes' tenure as Chief Justice include correspondence, subject files, speeches and public statements, scrapbooks, photographs, and ephemera.
There is also a substantial amount of material dealing with the American Bar Association's Commission on Correctional Facilities and Service, with which Mr. Hughes was involved, and some material on the Democratic National and New Jersey State Committees. The collection also includes a smaller amount of personal materials as well as personal ephemera.
Restrictions:
Photographic negatives may only be viewed with the assistance of the archivist.
This collection includes audio-visual materials. Access copies of audiotapes, audio cassette tapes, video cassette tapes, film reels, or other audio-visual materials may need to be ordered prior to on-site research. Please contact us to inquire about access to audio-visual materials.
Otherwise, materials are available for research at the Msgr. William Noé Field Archives & Special Collections Center. Advance appointments are required for the use of archival materials.
American Bar Association. Commission on Correctional Facilities and Services.
Hughes, Richard J., (Richard Joseph), 1909-1992
New Jersey. Governor (1962-1970 : Hughes)
New Jersey. Governor (1974-1982 : Byrne)
Governors--Election.
New Jersey—Politics and government—1951-
Vietnam War, 1961-1975.
Correspondence,
Series I.
6.5 Linear feet
1961-1979
Correspondence with Brendan Byrne
65
1973-1979
Correspondence: Vietnam
72
1970s
Correspondence: Vietnam
81
1970s
Correspondence
64
1961-1979
Correspondence
66
1961-1979
Correspondence
69
1961-1979
Correspondence
70
1961-1979
Correspondence
78
1961-1979
Correspondence
79
1961-1979
Correspondence
80
1961-1979
Correspondence
82
1961-1979
Correspondence
92
1961-1979
Correspondence
94
1961-1979
Speeches, statements, and messages,
Series II.
12.5 Linear feet
1961-1979
Speeches and statements,
1
1962
Speeches and statements,
2
1962
Speeches and statements,
3
1962
Speeches and statements,
4
1962-1963
Speeches and statements,
5
1962-1963
Speeches and statements,
6
1963-1964
Speeches and statements,
7
1965
Speeches and statements,
8
1963-1965
Speeches and statements,
9
1966
Speeches and statements,
10
1966
Speeches and statements,
11
1966
Speeches and statements,
12
1967
Speeches and statements,
13
1967-1968
Speeches and statements,
14
1968-1969
Speeches and statements,
15
1969
Speeches and statements,
16
1970-1974
Speeches and statements,
17
1975-1979
Speeches and statements (unprocessed),
18
Speeches and statements (duplicates),
19
Speeches and statements,
63
Speeches and statements,
70
Speeches and statements,
75
Speeches and statements,
86
Speeches and statements,
89
Speeches and statements,
91
Schedules of appearance,
Series III.
5.5 Linear feet
1961-1970
Schedule of appearances,
26
March 1961 - November 1961
Schedule of appearances,
27
October 1961 - January 1970 (incomplete)
Schedule of appearances,
28
January 1962 - December 1962
Schedule of appearances,
29
1963
Schedule of appearances,
30
1964
Schedule of appearances,
31
1965
Schedule of appearances,
32
1966
Schedule of appearances,
33
1967
Schedule of appearances,
34
1967-1968
Schedule of appearances,
85
1960s
Subject files,
Series IV.
5.5 Linear feet
1956-1979
Reports,
25
Rova Farms vs. Investors,
73
Subject files,
20
Subject files,
21
Subject files,
22
Subject files,
23
Subject files,
24
Subject files,
61
Subject files,
88
Subject files,
90
Subject files,
94
American Bar Association Commission on Correctional Facilities and Services,
Series V.
8.0 Linear feet
1970-1974
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
35
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
36
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
37
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
38
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
39
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
40
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
41
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
42
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
43
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
44
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
45
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
46
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
47
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
48
Commission on Correctional Facilites and Services alphabetical files,
59
American Bar Association files,
60
Democratic Committees: National and State,
Series VI.
2.0 Linear feet
1970-1974
Democratic National Committee,
62
Democratic National Committee,
76
Democratic State Committee (N.J.),
74
Democratic Committee,
94
Personal papers,
Series VII.
3.0 Linear feet
1961-1979
Personal papers,
20
Personal papers,
70
Personal papers,
77
Personal papers,
85
Personal papers,
87
Personal papers,
93
Photographs,
Series VIII.
4.5 Linear feet
1961-1979
Photographs,
105
Photographs,
106
Photographs,
107
Photographs,
108
Photographs,
109
Photographs,
110
Photographs,
111
Photographs,
112
Photographs,
113
Scrapbooks and newsclippings,
Series IX.
8.0 Linear feet
1961-1979
Scrapbooks,
95
Scrapbooks,
96
Scrapbooks,
97
Scrapbooks,
98
Scrapbooks,
99
Scrapbooks,
20
Scrapbooks,
120
Newsclippings,
22
Newsclippings,
25
Newsclippings,
78
Newsclippings,
83
Newsclippings,
84
Ephemera and plaques,
Series X.
23.0 Linear feet
1961-1979
Plaques and awards,
49
Plaques and awards,
50
Plaques and awards,
51
Plaques and awards,
52
Plaques and awards,
53
Plaques and awards,
54
Plaques and awards,
55
Plaques and awards,
56
Plaques and awards,
58
Plaques and awards,
67
Plaques and awards,
68
Plaques and awards,
99
Plaques and awards,
104
Plaques and awards,
103
Plaques and awards,
102
Plaques and awards,
101
Plaques and awards,
100
Plaques and awards,
114
Plaques and awards,
115
Plaques and awards,
116
Plaques and awards,
117
Plaques and awards,
118
Plaques and awards,
120
Jerusalem bible,
57
Books,
71
Books,
74
Books,
119
Framed items,