Walter E. Foran

Walter Edge "Moose" Foran (May 14, 1919 – December 8, 1986) was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey, who served in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Arthur F. Foran, who served in the New Jersey Senate.

Walter E. Foran
Member of the New Jersey Senate
In office
November 21, 1977 – December 8, 1986
Preceded byAnne Clark Martindell
Succeeded byDick Zimmer
Constituency14th district (1977–1982)
23rd district (1982–1986)
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly
In office
January 13, 1970 – November 21, 1977
Preceded byDouglas E. Gimson
Succeeded byBarbara McConnell
Constituency15th district (1970–1972)
6A district (1972–1974)
14th district (1974–1977)
Personal details
Born(1919-05-14)May 14, 1919
Flemington, New Jersey
DiedDecember 8, 1986(1986-12-08) (aged 67)
Raritan Township, New Jersey
Political partyRepublican

Biography

Foran was born in Flemington, the fourth of five sons to Elizabeth and Arthur F. Foran. His eldest sibling, Dick Foran, would go on to be a B-movie actor. Walter Edge Foran was named in honor of Walter Evans Edge, his father's political mentor. Arthur F. Foran had already served as Mayor of Flemington before working as an aide to Edge, then Governor of New Jersey, in 1917. By the time of Walter Foran's birth in May 1919, Edge had been elected to the United States Senate.[1]

After graduating from Staunton Military Academy in Virginia, Foran attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served in the Army field artillery in World War II.[2]

Foran served as the Hunterdon County Republican Chairman from 1961 to 1970. He was elected to the New Jersey State Assembly in 1969 and served as a member of the Joint Appropriations Committee, eventually becoming Minority Leader. He was elected to the New Jersey Senate in 1977, taking the seat of Anne Clark Martindell, a Democrat who resigned to serve in a series of positions in the Carter administration including United States Ambassador to New Zealand. He won a special election to fill the remainder of Martindell's term as well as the general election for a full four-year term in the 14th legislative district.[3] After redistricting, he was re-elected to the Senate in 1981 and 1983 representing the 23rd district.[4]

Foran was considered an "old school statesman" and "an imposing figure" (hence the nickname "Moose"), who had "a congenial and persuasive manner and a quick mind."[5] In the Senate Foran was the ranking Republican on the Revenue, Finance and Appropriations Committee.[1] After his death, a special election to fill his seat was won by Dick Zimmer, then serving in the Assembly.[6]

On the Cook College campus of Rutgers University, Walter E. Foran Hall was dedicated on October 30, 1995. It is a 154,000-square-foot (14,300 m2) complex housing the Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, the Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, and the Chang Science Library.[7] Foran was an early champion of agricultural biotechnology and was instrumental in the founding of the center.[5]

A resident of Flemington, Foran died of lung cancer at Hunterdon Medical Center at the age of 67 on December 8, 1986.[2][8]

References
  1. "The Forans of Hunterdon County". Politicker NJ. August 10, 2006. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  2. "Walter Foran, State Senator And G.O.P. Official in Jersey". The New York Times. December 10, 1986. Retrieved March 11, 2008. Walter E. Foran, a State Senator in New Jersey since 1977, died Monday at the Hunterdon County Medical Center. He was 67 years old and lived in Flemington, N.J.
  3. Jersey, State of New (1986). Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. p. 233. On Nov. 8, 1977, he was elected to two Senate terms: the unexpired term of former Senator Anne C. Martindell, who had resigned to accept a federal appointment; and the full four-year term that began Jan. 10, 1978. On Nov. 21, 1977, Mr. Foran resigned from the Assembly, and was sworn as a senator.
  4. "NJ State Senate 23 - History". OurCampaigns.com. Retrieved 2013-07-28.
  5. "Dick Foran, 'The Singing Cowboy'". The Old Corral. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  6. Pulley, Brett (October 30, 1996). "Zimmer Has Set Aside Calm for His Political Passions". The New York Times. Retrieved March 9, 2011. After State Senator Walter Foran died in 1987, Mr. Zimmer won a special election to replace him and was later elected to a full State Senate term.
  7. "The George H. Cook Campus". Rutgers University. Retrieved March 11, 2008.
  8. Staff (December 9, 1986). "WALTER FORAN, WHO SERVED 17 YEARS IN N.J. LEGISLATURE". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 9, 2011. New Jersey state Sen. Walter Foran, a Republican who represented Hunterdon County in the legislature for 17 years, died yesterday after a brief battle with lung cancer.
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