State of New Jersey
Executive Order #55

Governor Christine Todd Whitman

WHEREAS, William Thomas Cahill, born to Irish immigrants in Philadelphia in 1912, served more than thirty years of his life in public service to the people of his beloved State of New Jersey, culminating with his term as Governor from 1970 to 1974; and

WHEREAS, Governor Cahill's foresight and determined leadership brought extraordinary changes that still have a profound impact on the way our government operates today; and

WHEREAS, he will be remembered as a pioneer of tax reform in the State; and

WHEREAS, his efforts in creating the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and attracting the football Giants to New Jersey have resulted in decades of enjoyment and entertainment for the people of New Jersey; and

WHEREAS, his prescient interest in environmental issues led to the creation of the Department of Environmental Protection and the passage of the Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA), setting a precedent of protecting the State's wetlands and coastal areas; and

WHEREAS, the Cahill Administration, reflecting its leader's devotion to pursuing the best public policy for the citizens of the State, established the Division of Consumer Affairs to field, investigate and act upon consumer complaints; reconstituted the Board of Public Utilities to oversee and regulate the rates of the State's utility companies more effectively; established the Department of Community Affairs with the primary goal of pursuing a comprehensive urban development agenda; and created the Division of Youth and Family Services to protect abused and neglected children throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, Governor Cahill oversaw the implementation of the New Jersey Lottery, which was the nation's first daily Statewide lottery, and, indeed, purchased the State's first lottery ticket on December 16, 1970; and

WHEREAS, in an act of gracious bipartisanship he appointed his predecessor, Governor Richard J. Hughes, to be Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court; and

WHEREAS, in the wake of the prison riot in Attica in New York State that resulted in many deaths, he drew national accolades for participating personally in negotiations on Thanksgiving Day in 1971 that quelled an inmate uprising at Rahway State Prison without the loss of a single life; and

WHEREAS, he did not permit his public service to the State to detract from his love and devotion to his large family and many friends; and

WHEREAS, it is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Governor Cahill and extend our sincere sympathies to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and appropriate for the State of New Jersey to mourn the passing of Governor Cahill and to honor his selfless career in fulfilling what he termed his "civic duty" to our State;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Governor of the State of New Jersey, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and by the Statutes of this State, 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 Tuesday, July 9, 1996 and through and including Monday, July 22, 1996 in recognition and mourning of the passing of Governor William T. Cahill.

2. This Order shall take effect immediately.

GIVEN, under my hand and seal
this 9th day of July in the Year of
Our Lord, One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Ninety-Six, and of the
Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-First

/s/ Christine Todd Whitman
Governor

Attest:

/s/ Harriet Derman
Chief Counsel to the Governor