State of New Jersey
Executive Order #72

Governor James J. Florio

WHEREAS, Richard J. Hughes was the only Governor in New Jersey history to serve the people of his beloved state as both Chief Executive and Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, Governor Hughes devoted more than five decades of his life to public service; and

WHEREAS, he shepherded New Jersey safely through some of our most uncertain times and, through his deep commitment to justice and equality, helped to ennoble those times; and

WHEREAS, his skilled and gracious statesmanship, his integrity and his commitment to fiscal responsibility remain today a model and an inspiration for all in government; and

WHEREAS, he understood that the lasting greatness of any society is contained in the promise of its children, and that the most important task of government is to nurture that promise through education; and

WHEREAS, his singular vision and determined leadership enabled New Jersey to create a world-class system of universities, colleges and junior colleges in which we could nurture the creative genius of all our young people and continue New Jersey's proud tradition of generational progress; and

WHEREAS, his administration laid the foundation for a strong, modern transportation system that has enabled New Jersey to keep its economy moving for a more than a generation; and

WHEREAS, he believed deeply that the strength of America lies in our diversity and that, as President Roosevelt said, we are all sons and daughters of immigrants, equally deserving of dignity and opportunity; and

WHEREAS, his belief in New Jersey's greatness and his ability to convince others of that greatness helped move New Jersey into the national spotlight as the site of the 1964 Democratic national convention and the 1967 summit meeting at Glassboro between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin; and

WHEREAS, his keen insight and devotion to justice, now inscribed in law, helped our state, and our nation, to move a little closer to the noble ideals on which we were founded; and

WHEREAS, as Chief Justice of the state's highest court, he was widely respected and admired for his leadership and courageous stands on such diverse issues as the sacred right of each individual to live and die with dignity, the right of every child to receive a quality education, the right of those accused of crimes to receive a fair trial and the right of those convicted to receive fair and humane treatment.

WHEREAS, his devotion to public and community service never detracted from his love and devotion to family and friends; and

WHEREAS, his Irish wit, wise counsel an indomitable spirit were rare and precious resources that will be greatly missed in the halls of government and throughout our state; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate for the State of New Jersey to mark the passing of Richard J. Hughes, a great statesman and public servant who always put New Jersey first;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JIM FLORIO, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:

1. The flag of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all state departments, offices, agencies and instrumentalities during appropriate hours beginning on Monday December 7, 1992 and through and including Monday, December 21 in recognition and mourning of the passing of one of New Jersey's most distinguished sons, Richard J. Hughes.

2. This order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal this
7th day of December in the Year of Our
Lord, One Thousand Nine Hundred and
Ninety-Two, and of the Independence
of the United States, the Two Hundred
and Seventeenth.

/s/ Jim Florio
GOVERNOR

Attest: /s/ M. Robert DeCotiis
Chief Counsel to the Governor