NEWS

Brendan Byrne charms audience at book launch

William Westhoven
@WWesthoven

FLORHAM PARK – Former Gov. Brendan Byrne was feted by friends and guests Friday at Fairleigh Dickinson University during a launch party for the new book, "New Jersey Governor Brendan Byrne: The Man Who Couldn't Be Bought."

But when it was time to speak, he chose to read from a different book — "The Governors of New Jersey."

"It's my biography," he said. "And a sentence I would like to read to you is, 'After a tumultuous eight years, the Philadelphia Inquirer observed, 'When history makes its judgment, he may just outrank Woodrow Wilson.' "

After pa

using for effect, the 90-year old statesman, noted for his sharp sense of humor, said "I read that every night."

The crowd at Hennessy Hall on FDU's College at Florham Campus, which included former Gov. Donald Di Francesco and Rep. Leonard Lance, was there to pay tribute and get a signed copy of the new book.

"The book is interesting," he said. "I had an interesting life, I did some interesting things. I did some things that they told me I couldn't do, or shouldn't do. ... mostly shouldn't do. But I'm proud of what we accomplished. And I'm glad at least some of you are going to read the book."

While introducing Byrne to the assembly, FDU President Sheldon Drucker said the title referred to Byrne's days as Essex County prosecutor, where he famously drew the ire of mobsters and crooks who complained about the incorruptible "Boy Scout" who wouldn't back down.

Author Donald Linsky noted how Byrne, a World War II veteran, "Talked himself into Harvard Law School without a bachelor's degree," funding his education at both Harvard and Princeton through the G.I. Bill.

The book, published by Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, includes a tribute from former president Bill Clinton, who wrote "With his unique combination of vision and toughness, his trademark sense of humor and no small dose of political courage, Brendan Byrne worked as governor with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to enact meaningful reforms that benefit New Jersey to this day."

Lance, a Republican, said he has known the two-term Democratic Byrne "virtually my whole life."

"He was in Gov. Robert Meyner's office as a young man when my father, Wesley L. Lance, was president of the State Senate," Lance said before the event. "When I was a student at the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University, I took a course from Brendan Byrne in his last year as governor. I call Gov. Byrne professor, and he calls me student. I have the honor of serving in Congress, but I only have that honor because I had many wonderful teachers and mentors, and I consider Gov. Byrne one of them."

Harry Keysian, director of the FDU Press, said "This is breaking from our usual mold of academic books, but it's thrilling and we're happy to be honoring a guy whose public service is so notable, and only gets better in the light of history."

Keysian said FDU Press, which publishes 30 to 40 books a year, is not moving into the trade publication area, but the initial press run of the Byrne book "was in the thousands, not hundreds."

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-428-6627; wweesthoven@dailyrecord.com