Alfred N. Beadleston

Alfred Nash Beadleston, Jr. (February 20, 1912 – January 18, 2000) was an American Republican Party politician who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly and President of the New Jersey Senate.

Biography

Alfred N. Beadleston (far right) checks election results with other successful Monmouth County Republican candidates in Freehold. Red Bank Register November 1961

Beadleston was born in Rumson, New Jersey in 1912 to Alfred Nash Beadleston, Sr. (1848–1915), partner in the Beadleston & Woerz brewery, and his wife Helen F. Hazard (1888–1937), daughter of Edward Clarke Hazard of the grocery firm E. C. Hazard and Company. His parents made headlines when they married in 1909, when the elder Beadleston was 60 years old and his bride was only 21.^[1][2]

Beadleston attended Fay School in Southborough, Massachusetts and St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire and Yale College. After graduating in 1934, Beadleston converted the family brewing company's facilities into commercial property and embarked on a career in public service. In 1938 he was elected to the Shrewsbury Borough Council, and two years later he was elected as Mayor of Shrewsbury, New Jersey. He served as Shewsbury mayor from 1941 to 1952.^[1]

In 1951 Beadleston was elected to the General Assembly from Monmouth County. In 1954 he authored legislation commonly known as "The Beadleston Act," which protected students in the State of New Jersey with educational disabilities by guaranteeing their right to special education.^[1] The Beadleston Act is highly regarded as the cornerstone predecessor to the Education for All Handicapped Children Act, and subsequently the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Beadleston was named Speaker of the Assembly in 1964. In 1967 he was elected to the State Senate. He served as Senate President in 1973, becoming one of the few politicians in state history to hold the leadership posts in both houses of the legislature.^[3]

Beadleston declined to run for another Senate term in 1977, retiring to his Rumson home. He died in 2000 at Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank at the age of 88.^[3]

Family

Beadleston's first marriage, to Sylvia Lawrence White on February 16, 1935, ended in divorce. He remarried Isabel Palmer Morrell Waud on February 7, 1948. She was the widow of Dr. Sydney P. Waud of Chicago, a colonel in the Army Medical Corps.^[4][5]

References

External links

• Beadleston Act
• Alfred N. Beadleston at The Political Graveyard
• Alfred N. Beadleston at The New York Times
• Isabel M. Beadleston at The New York Times

Speakers of the New Jersey General Assembly Gardiner Fretwell Jennings T. Gordon Kay D. Coxe Kinsey Johnstone Trent Johnstone Kinsey, Jr. Bonnel A. Johnston Nevill Lawrence Nevill Charles Read Lawrence Nevill Ogden Skinner Crane Skinner Hart Camp Hornblower Meheim Harris Hendrickson Van Cleve Harris Van Cleve Beatty Dayton E. Elmer S. Condict E. Elmer Imlay S. Condict W. Coxe Dickerson W. Coxe P. Gordon Cox L. Condict Kennedy Pearson Bateman Pennington Clark E. Elmer D. Thompson L. Elmer D. Johnston Drake Ewing Wurts J. Jackson Ryall T. Haight L. Condict Stites Emley Halsey J. Taylor Van Wagenen Howell J. Evans Whelpley Nixon Phillips Huyler Fennimore Parry Demarest Dutcher Holsman Salter Patterson Teese C. Haight Crowell J.N. Taylor Crowell Hill Curtis A. Evans Abbett Condit Niles Fisher G. Hobart Vanderbilt Caracallen Rabe Egan S. Jackson Oviatt Van Duyne Dunn O'Connor Stoney Armstrong Baird Dickinson Hudspeth Heppenheimer Bergen Flynn Holt Cross DeRousse MacPherson Watkins B. Jones Bradley Horner Avis Robbins Lethbridge Jess Prince Ward Kenny McCran L.R. Taylor Beekman Godfrey Pilgrim Schoen Wolverton Pierson Glover G.S. Hobart Rowland W. Evans Eaton Powell Chandless Siracusa Hanson Gabrielson Knight Wise Greenberg Otto Pascoe Altman Clee Newcomb Walker De Voe Pascoe McClave Boswell Amlicke Cavicchia Hess W. Jones Leonard Brescher Mehorter Miller Fraser M. Thompson Cavinato Simmill Thomas Salsburg Mosch Mills Hyland Kurtz Brady D'Aloia Davis Matthews Beadleston Higgins Brady Hauser Halpin Smith Moraites Dickey Parker Kean Woodson LeFante Hamilton Jackman Karcher Hardwick Doria Haytaian Collins Sires Roberts Oliver Prieto

Presidents of the New Jersey Senate Smallwood March Canfield Manners Alexander Speer Herring Gifford Perry Crowell Reckless Robbins Scudder Scovel Buckley Little Robbins Bettle Taylor Sewell Abbett Ludlow Sewell Hobart Gardner Vail Schenck Griggs Fish Large Werts Nevius Adrain Rogers Stokes Thompson Williams Voorhees Skirm Reed Johnson Pitney Francis Hutchinson Wakelee Cross Bradley Minch Hillery Robbins Frelinghuysen Ackerman Prince Fielder Johnson Slocum Edge Read Gaunt McCran Runyon Case Allen Mackay Wallworth Reeves Bright Larson Davis Stevens Mathis Pierson Wolber A. Reeves Richards Powell Prall Barbour Durand Loizeaux Hendrickson Foran Scott Stanger Farley Proctor Barton Summerill Van Alstyne Bodine Littell Hannold Young Mathis Wallace Dumont McCay Stout Lance Harper Hillery Crane Farley Ozzard Sandman Lynch Sr. Ridolfi Forsythe McDermott Bateman Beadleston Dodd Feldman Merlino Orechio Russo Lynch Jr. DiFrancesco Bennett Codey Kenny Codey Sweeney