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Alumni In the News - January 10, 2002
Former Student Is Acting Governor |
John O. Bennett made the most of his brief term as acting governor of New Jersey, delivering the State of the State address to his colleagues in the legislature and moving into the governor's mansion. By midnight Friday, however, he must step down to make way for another acting governor.
Bennett, a Republican from Monmouth County, will serve 84 hours in office. Due to a series of quirks in the state constitution, five people will hold the post in the course of eight days. Acting governor Donald T. DiFrancesco's term ended at noon on Tuesday. State Attorney General John Farmer then became acting governor for two hours while the Senate elected a president.
With a 50/50 split between Democrats and Republicans, the Senate chose as co-presidents Bennett and Democrat Richard Codey. Since the Senate president serves as acting governor until January 15th, Bennett and Codey agreed to split the time and serve three and a half days each. Governor-elect James E. McGreevey will be sworn in on the 15th.
John Bennett attended Dickinson from 1966 to 1968. He completed his B.A. in History and Political Science at West Virginia University and earned a J.D. at Seton Hall University.
Below: John Bennett's picture appears on the New Jersey state web site.
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