Raymond H. "Ray" Bateman (October 29, 1927 – June 25, 2016) was an American politician who represented Somerset County in the New Jersey Senate in the 1960s and 1970s and was the Republican candidate for Governor of New Jersey in 1977. He was the father of Kip Bateman, who later occupied the same Senate district he held.
Raymond H. Bateman | |
|---|---|
| President of the New Jersey Senate | |
| In office January 13, 1970 – January 11, 1972 | |
| Preceded by | Frank X. McDermott |
| Succeeded by | Alfred N. Beadleston |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate | |
| In office January 9, 1968 – January 10, 1978 | |
| Preceded by | William E. Ozzard |
| Succeeded by | John H. Ewing |
| Constituency | 8th district (1968–1974) 16th district (1974–1978) |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the Somerset County district | |
| In office November 1958 – January 9, 1968 | |
| Preceded by | William E. Ozzard |
| Succeeded by | District eliminated |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 29, 1927 Somerville, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 2016 (aged 88) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Resting place | North Branch Reformed Church Cemetery |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Joan Speer Bateman (m. ?–2003) (her death) |
| Children | Five, including Christopher |
| Residence | Branchburg Township, New Jersey |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University |
Biography
editEarly life, education and military service
editBateman was born on October 29, 1927, in Somerville, New Jersey and was a lifelong resident of Somerset County, where he graduated from Somerville High School in 1945. In 1946, he joined the United States Army and was stationed at the Eighth Army headquarters in Yokohama during the Occupation of Japan after World War II.[1][2][3] In 1947, he was promoted to staff sergeant.[3] After military service, he attended Wesleyan University, where he graduated in 1950, and attended the graduate program at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.[4]
Political career
editHe served as executive director of the Republican State Committee from 1954 to 1958. He entered the New Jersey General Assembly in November 1958, serving as the lone Assemblyman from Somerset County (at the time, Assembly districts were apportioned by counties' populations) going on to serve as assistant majority leader in 1964 and majority leader in 1965. Bateman sponsored the 1962 legislation that established New Jersey's county-based community college system.[5] He was elected to the New Jersey Senate in 1967 and was reelected in 1971 from the 8th Legislative District which consisted of all of Somerset County. He served as assistant majority leader in 1968, majority leader in 1969, and Senate president and acting governor in 1970–1972.[4] In 1973, following the reconfiguration of all legislative districts, he was elected to serve in the Senate from the 16th District consisting of most of Somerset County and portions of Hunterdon and Morris counties.[6]
In 1977 Bateman won the Republican primary for Governor of New Jersey over Thomas Kean and two other candidates, but he lost in the general election to Brendan Byrne by a margin of 1,184,564 to 888,880 votes.[7]
Bateman served as chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.[8] He resigned after a conflict with Governor of New Jersey Donald DiFrancesco in 2001 over construction of a new arena for the New Jersey Devils in Newark and plans for the proposed Xanadu complex.[9]
Personal life
editHe was married to Joan Speer Bateman until her death in 2003.[10] They had five children: Caren, Raymond Jr. (a luger in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, died 1990),[11] Christopher, Michael, and Joan Anne.[4] He died on June 25, 2016, at Morristown Memorial Hospital after a shoulder break and pneumonia.[12] He is buried at the North Branch Reformed Church cemetery.
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Army Enlistments", The Daily Home News, New Brunswick, New Jersey, April 16, 1946, page 2.
- ^ "Somerville", Courier News, Plainfield, New Jersey, October 18, 1946, page 15.
- ^ a b "Somerville", Courier News, Plainfield, New Jersey, March 21, 1947, page 22.
- ^ a b c Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1977.
- ^ Goodnough, Abby. "Live and Learn", The New York Times, May 4, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2008. 'Raymond Bateman, a former state legislator from Somerset County who sponsored the 1962 law that allowed the establishment of community colleges, said the state used to pay one-third of the colleges' budgets."
- ^ "Results of the General Election Held November 6, 1973" (PDF). Secretary of State of New Jersey. p. 7. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
- ^ Brendan T. Byrne Archive: Interview with Raymond H. Bateman. Eagleton Institute of Politics, January 11, 2007. Accessed March 18, 2008.
- ^ Sandomir, Richard. "Devils Owner Seeks Hockey in Hoboken", The New York Times, December 20, 1997. Accessed January 23, 2008. "Raymond Bateman, the chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which is the Devils' landlord, said in a statement that the agency would honor the lease and there are no foreseeable circumstances under which that would change."
- ^ Fitzgerald, Barbara. "The Incredible Shrinking Governor", The New York Times, July 22, 2001. Accessed January 23, 2008. "And when Raymond Bateman, the chairman of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, disagreed with Mr. DiFrancesco over his proposal for a new arena in Newark and a sprawling retail and entertainment center in the Meadowlands, Mr. Bateman offered his resignation."
- ^ "In Memoriam - Alumni". Skidmore Scope. Summer 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2016.
Joan Speer Bateman '55 of Somerville, NJ, died March 28. ... A member of the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, she helped her husband, State Senator Raymond Bateman, launch his gubernatorial bid in 1977.
- ^ "Raymond Bateman, 34, former Olympian, dies". Home News Tribune. February 3, 1990.
Mr. Bateman also was a three time U.S. doubles luge champion and competed on the U.S. Olympic Luge Team in 1980 and 1984. ... Surviving are his wife, Robin Roberts Bateman; a son, Raymond 3, and a daughter, Amy; his father, former state senator and 1978 gubernatorial candidate Ray Bateman, and mother, Joan Bateman, both of Branchberg; two sisters, Caren Batemen-Chanoch of Neshanic Station and Joananne Bateman of Branchburg; and two brothers, Christopher S. of Neshanic Station and Michael of Branchburg.
- ^ Spoto, Maryann (June 25, 2016). "Ray Bateman, iconic N.J. senator, dead at 88". NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Retrieved June 25, 2016.