Robert A. Roe

Robert A. Roe
Robert A. Roe
	Robert A. Roe in 1991
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives; from New Jersey's 8th district
	In office; November 4, 1969 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Charles S. Joelson
Succeeded by	Herb Klein
Chair of the House Transportation Committee
	In office; January 3, 1991 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Glenn M. Anderson
Succeeded by	Norman Mineta
Chair of the House Science Committee
	In office; January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991
Preceded by	Don Fuqua
Succeeded by	George Brown Jr.
Personal details
Born	Robert Aloysius Roe; February 28, 1924; Lyndhurst, New Jersey, U.S.
Died	July 15, 2014 (aged 90); Green Pond, New Jersey, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Alma mater	Oregon State University ; Washington State University
	Robert A. Roe's voice Roe, as chair of the House Transportation Committee, speaks in support of airport and airway improvement legislation; Recorded May 19, 1992

Robert Aloysius Roe (February 28, 1924 – July 15, 2014) was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives from November 4, 1969 to January 3, 1993.

Early life and education

Roe was born in Lyndhurst, New Jersey on February 28, 1924, and raised in Wayne, New Jersey. He graduated from Pompton Lakes High School and attended college at Oregon State University in Corvallis and Washington State University in Pullman.^[1]

Early career

During World War II, Roe served in the United States Army. Roe served as a committeeman of Wayne from 1955 to 1956 and became the Mayor of Wayne Township in 1956, serving in that capacity until 1961. He also served on the Passaic County Board of Chosen Freeholders from 1959 to 1963, and as Freeholder Director in 1962 and 1963.^[2]

In 1963, he was appointed as the Commissioner of the New Jersey Conservation and Economic Development Department and served until his 1969 resignation.^[3] In 1969, Charles S. Joelson resigned from Congress.

Tenure in Congress

On November 4, Roe was elected as Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election.^[2]

Roe had a mostly liberal voting record, but he was anti-abortion.

He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Democratic nomination for Governor in 1977 and 1981. In both races, Roe came in 2nd place for the nomination.

Committees

Roe served as Chairman of the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology (1987–1991) and the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, 1991–93.

Roe retired after the 1992 election and later worked as a consultant.^[2]

Later life

The former lawmaker was convicted of driving drunk when he crashed into a minivan in Rockaway Township, New Jersey in 1993, seriously injuring a woman and her 15-year-old daughter.

In January 2008 a bill was passed to name Route 23 after the former Congressman. Mothers Against Drunk Driving protested the plan to name the highway after a man who seriously injured two people while driving drunk. A spokesman stated that Governor Jon Corzine did not know about the accident when he signed the bill and that a second bill would have to be passed by the New Jersey Legislature to overturn the naming. Roe himself then requested that lawmakers repeal the legislation.^[4]^[5]

Death

Roe died of congestive heart failure at his home in the Green Pond section of Rockaway Township, New Jersey at the age of 90 on July 15, 2014.^[2]^[3]

References

^ "Robert A. Roe, 90, Former Congressman And Wayne Mayor", The Beacon, July 14, 2014. Accessed November 16, 2021. "Born in Lyndhurst, he grew up in Wayne, where he was a parishioner of Holy Cross in the Mountain View section of the township. He was graduated from Pompton Lakes High School and attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, where he majored in engineering and later attended Washington State University in Pullman where he, majored in political science."
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Fried, Joseph P. "Robert Roe, New Jersey Congressman Called ‘Mr. Jobs,’ Dies at 90", The New York Times, July 15, 2014. Accessed July 16, 2014. "Robert A. Roe, who as a congressman from New Jersey for 23 years played a key role in financing projects to expand the nation’s highway and mass transit systems and to combat water and ground pollution, died on Tuesday at his home in Green Pond, N.J."
^ ^a ^b Jackson, Herb. "Former Rep. Robert Roe, longtime congressman from Passaic County, dies at age 90", The Record, July 15, 2014; accessed July 16, 2014. "Roe died at home in Rockaway Township of congestive heart failure, according to his godson, Assemblyman Scott Rumana, R Wayne."
^ Lawrence Ragonese (February 14, 2008). "Ex-Rep. Roe requests repeal of Route 23 name change". NJ.com. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
^ Jennings, Rob. "MADD: Put brakes on plan to name road after ex-lawmaker who drove drunk - Former Rep. Robert A. Roe had crashed, seriously hurt two", Daily Record, February 12, 2008; accessed February 12, 2008.

External links

Appearances on C-SPAN

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Charles S. Joelson	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey's 8th congressional district 1969–1993	Succeeded by Herbert Klein
Political offices
Preceded by Don Fuqua Florida	Chairman of House Science Committee 1987–1991	Succeeded by George Brown Jr. California
Preceded by Glenn M. Anderson California	Chairman of House Transportation Committee 1991–1993	Succeeded by Norman Mineta California

[1] "Robert A. Roe, 90, Former Congressman And Wayne Mayor", The Beacon, July 14, 2014. Accessed November 16, 2021. "Born in Lyndhurst, he grew up in Wayne, where he was a parishioner of Holy Cross in the Mountain View section of the township. He was graduated from Pompton Lakes High School and attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, where he majored in engineering and later attended Washington State University in Pullman where he, majored in political science."

[NYTObit-2] Fried, Joseph P. "Robert Roe, New Jersey Congressman Called ‘Mr. Jobs,’ Dies at 90", The New York Times, July 15, 2014. Accessed July 16, 2014. "Robert A. Roe, who as a congressman from New Jersey for 23 years played a key role in financing projects to expand the nation’s highway and mass transit systems and to combat water and ground pollution, died on Tuesday at his home in Green Pond, N.J."

[RecordObit-3] Jackson, Herb. "Former Rep. Robert Roe, longtime congressman from Passaic County, dies at age 90", The Record, July 15, 2014; accessed July 16, 2014. "Roe died at home in Rockaway Township of congestive heart failure, according to his godson, Assemblyman Scott Rumana, R Wayne."

[4] Lawrence Ragonese (February 14, 2008). "Ex-Rep. Roe requests repeal of Route 23 name change". NJ.com. Retrieved June 11, 2017.

[5] Jennings, Rob. "MADD: Put brakes on plan to name road after ex-lawmaker who drove drunk - Former Rep. Robert A. Roe had crashed, seriously hurt two", Daily Record, February 12, 2008; accessed February 12, 2008.

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v t e Chairs of the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Public Buildings and Grounds (1837–1947)	Towns Petrikin Boardman Pratt Ficklin Faran Houston Bowdon Stanton Craige Ball Keitt Train Rice Covode Hopkins Beatty Halsey Platt Holman Cook Shallenberger Stockslager Dibble Milliken Bankhead Milliken Mercer Gillet Bartholdt Sheppard Clark Langley Elliott Lanham
Rivers and Harbors (1883–1947)	Willis Blanchard Henderson Blanchard Catchings Hooker Cooper Burton Alexander Sparkman Small Kennedy Dempsey Mansfield
Roads (1913–1947)	Shackleford Dunn Dowell Almon Cartwright Robinson
Flood Control (1916–1947)	Humphreys Rodenberg Schall Reid Wilson Whittington
Transportation and Infrastructure* (1947–)	Dondero Whittington Buckley Dondero Buckley Fallon Blatnik Jones Johnson Howard Anderson Roe Mineta E. Shuster Young Oberstar Mica W. Shuster DeFazio Graves
Note	^* Alternately named Public Works in 80th through 93rd Congresses and Public Works and Transportation in 94th through 103rd Congresses.

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