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.He was a well-respected Republican politicianfrom New Jersey whose moderate views and popularity in the Republican Party ledto his appointment as 9/11 Commission chair.Kean spent his entire political career in New Jersey.He was born on April 21,1935, in New York City.With his father having served as a Member of Congress,and his grandfather as a U.S.senator, Kean s family had a long history in NewJersey politics.Kean s early education began at St.Mark s School in Southborough,Massachusetts.He then attended Princeton University and later earned a master sdegree from the Teachers College, Columbia University.His early career was as ateacher of history and government.When Kean decided to run for public office,he first won election to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1967, and becameNew Jersey House Speaker for a year in 1972.He aspired to higher office but wasunsuccessful in winning the Republic nomination for New Jersey Governor in1977.Kean was more successful in 1981, and was elected the forty-eighth gover-nor of New Jersey.His term as governor lasted until 1990.Kean proved hugelypopular in office, and he made New Jersey a two-party state.Kean left politics tobecome president of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey.He continued tohead the small liberal arts university until 2005.President Bush appointed Kean chair of the 9/11 Commission because ofKean s reputation as a consensus builder.He earned this reputation throughservice on various national foreign policy boards under the administrations ofGeorge H.W.Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W.Bush.President George W.Bush turned to him after Henry Kissinger resigned as chair of the 9/11 Com-mission.Perhaps Kean s most important decision on the 9/11 Commission wasto make former U.S.Representative Lee Hamilton (D-IN) co-chair.Making thecommission bipartisan increased its credibility.Commissioners made all decisionsas a group, and met with the media as a team.This bipartisan approach helpedmake the 9/11 Commission work. Kean, Thomas Howard 175The 9/11 Commission was aReasons Thomas Kean Accepted the Post of Chair ofmassive undertaking.It had tothe 9/11 Commissionorganize itself in record timebecause its mandate was only forIt s hard to say no when the president of the U.S.asks youeighteen months, and its initialto do something although I ve said no before.I knew abudget of $3 million was inade- lot of people who died on September 11, and lost somequate.There were also conflict- good friends.This is an area where many people commuteto work in New York the train only takes 40 minutes toing political agendas fromreach the station directly under the Twin Towers.Almostvarious parties outside the com-a third of those killed, some 700, were from New Jersey.mission.Besides pressure fromIn the communities around here there were funerals forthe political side, Kean and themonths.9/11 Commission had to with-stand pressure from the FamilyInterview of Thomas Kean in Steven Knipp, Without Fear orSteering Committee.As theFavour, South China Morning Post (January 17, 2005), p.16.process moved forward Keanand Hamilton because frus-trated with repeated misstate- Comment by 9/11 Commission Member Richardments by Pentagon and FAA Ben-Venisteofficials.Some of these frustra-Tom Kean is a man of enormous good humor andtions have appeared in theirnoblesse oblige.His personal charm has played no smallbook Without Precedent: Therole in the cohesiveness and camaraderie that has devel-Inside Story of the 9/11 Commis-oped among the members of the commission.sion.The 9/11 Commissionissued its final report, the 9/11Richard Ben-Veniste quoted by Linton Weeks, An IndelibleCommission Report, on July 22,Day; On 9/11, University President Thomas Kean Had No Idea2004.How Much His Life Would Change, Washington Post (June 16,2004), p.C1.The 9/11 Commission hashad to withstand considerablecriticism then and now.Members and staff did not have the luxury of unlimitedtime, and members also had to withstand criticism for the political orientation ofsome of their staff.Philip D.Zelikow, the Commission s Staff Director, had exten-sive contacts with the Bush administration.Kean has tried to answer most of the crit-icisms.In turn, Kean s participation in the ABC TV miniseries The Path to 9/11 hasbeen criticized for the show s anti-Clinton bias.Kean is now in semiretirement.His main occupation is as chairman of the boardof the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a foundation that specializes in healthand health care.He and his wife live in Bedminster Township, New Jersey.Keankeeps his hand in politics by writing a weekly column for the Newark, New Jersey,Star-Ledger newspaper.His income is supplemented by service on several corpo-rate boards of directors.Kean was active in supporting his son, Tom Kean Jr., inhis unsuccessful 2006 campaign for governor of New Jersey.See AlsoFamily Steering Committee; Hamilton, Lee H.; National Commission on Terrorist Attacksupon the United StatesSuggested ReadingDavid T.Cook, Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton, Christian Science Monitor (December6, 2005), p.25; Thomas H.Kean, Lee H.Hamilton, and Benjamin Rhodes, WithoutPrecedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission (New York: Knopf, 2006); Dana Milbank, 176 Kerik, Bernard Bailey With 9/11 Film, Kean Finds Tough Critic in Hamilton, Washington Post (September 12,2006), p.A2; Philip Shenon, 9/11 Commission Says U.S.Agencies Slow Its Inquiry, NewYork Times (July 9, 2003), p.A1.Kerik, Bernard Bailey (1955 )Bernard Kerik was the Police Commissioner of the City of New York onSeptember 11, 2001.He was a long-time political ally of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.His actions at the World Trade Center on September 11 elevated him, along withGiuliani, to the national limelight.Kerik had an unusual background.He was born on September 4, 1955, inPaterson, New Jersey.His mother was a prostitute, and his father deserted himwhen he was only two years old
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