Foster McGowan Voorhees

Foster MacGowan Voorhees ( born November 5, 1856 in Clinton, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, † June 4, 1927 ) was an American politician and in 1898 and 1899 to 1902 Governor of the State of New Jersey.

Early years and political rise

Foster Voorhees attended until 1876 Rutgers University. After a subsequent study of law and qualifying as a lawyer, he took this job. Politically, he joined the Republican Party. Between 1888 and 1891 he was a deputy in the New Jersey General Assembly; 1894 to 1898 he was a member of the State Senate. In 1898 he was president of that body. In this capacity, he fell after the resignation of Governor John W. Griggs on February 1, 1898, the Office of the Governor to.

Governor of New Jersey

Voorhees was then until 18 October the same year the governor of his state. On this day he resigned from his office, to be elected only on 8 November this year in its own term in office. The reason for his resignation was his sought re-election. This would not have been possible if he had already been in the office of governor at the time of the election, according to the state constitution. The mean time until his new office on January 17, 1899 bridged the former President of the House of Representatives, David Ogden Watkins.

In his now three -year term, the roads of the state were expanded and built a new weapons arsenal in Trenton. Voorhees also strove for the orphans and improved the education and prison system in New Jersey. Governor Voorhees also supported the protection of the environment and the establishment of national parks. Thus was created in collaboration with President Theodore Roosevelt the Palisade Interstate Park. Later he left the State of his own possession a considerable area (325 acres), was born from the then the Voorhees State Park. In 1900, the governor was one of the delegates to the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia, has been nominated for presidential candidate of the party again at the incumbent William McKinley.

Further CV

After the expiration of his term of office on 21 January 1902 Voorhees retired from politics and devoted himself to his private affairs. He died on June 4, 1927 and was buried in his hometown of Clinton.