WHEREAS, William
Thomas Cahill, born to Irish immigrants in Philadelphia in 1912,
served more than thirty years of his life in public service to the
people of his beloved State of New Jersey, culminating with his
term as Governor from 1970 to 1974; and
WHEREAS, Governor
Cahill's foresight and determined leadership brought extraordinary
changes that still have a profound impact on the way our government
operates today; and
WHEREAS, he
will be remembered as a pioneer of tax reform in the State; and
WHEREAS, his
efforts in creating the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
and attracting the football Giants to New Jersey have resulted in
decades of enjoyment and entertainment for the people of New Jersey;
and
WHEREAS, his
prescient interest in environmental issues led to the creation of
the Department of Environmental Protection and the passage of the
Coastal Area Facility Review Act (CAFRA), setting a precedent of
protecting the State's wetlands and coastal areas; and
WHEREAS, the
Cahill Administration, reflecting its leader's devotion to pursuing
the best public policy for the citizens of the State, established
the Division of Consumer Affairs to field, investigate and act upon
consumer complaints; reconstituted the Board of Public Utilities
to oversee and regulate the rates of the State's utility companies
more effectively; established the Department of Community Affairs
with the primary goal of pursuing a comprehensive urban development
agenda; and created the Division of Youth and Family Services to
protect abused and neglected children throughout the State; and
WHEREAS, Governor
Cahill oversaw the implementation of the New Jersey Lottery, which
was the nation's first daily Statewide lottery, and, indeed, purchased
the State's first lottery ticket on December 16, 1970; and
WHEREAS, in
an act of gracious bipartisanship he appointed his predecessor,
Governor Richard J. Hughes, to be Chief Justice of the State Supreme
Court; and
WHEREAS, in
the wake of the prison riot in Attica in New York State that resulted
in many deaths, he drew national accolades for participating personally
in negotiations on Thanksgiving Day in 1971 that quelled an inmate
uprising at Rahway State Prison without the loss of a single life;
and
WHEREAS, he
did not permit his public service to the State to detract from his
love and devotion to his large family and many friends; and
WHEREAS, it
is with deep sadness that we mourn the loss of Governor Cahill and
extend our sincere sympathies to his family and friends; and
WHEREAS, it
is fitting and appropriate for the State of New Jersey to mourn
the passing of Governor Cahill and to honor his selfless career
in fulfilling what he termed his "civic duty" to our State;
NOW, THEREFORE,
I, CHRISTINE TODD WHITMAN, Governor of the State of New Jersey,
by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and
by the Statutes of this State, do hereby ORDER and DIRECT:
1. The flag
of the United States of America and the flag of the State of New
Jersey shall be flown at half-staff at all State departments,
offices, agencies and instrumentalities during appropriate hours
beginning on Tuesday, July 9, 1996 and through and including Monday,
July 22, 1996 in recognition and mourning of the passing of Governor
William T. Cahill.
2. This
Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 9th day of July in the Year of
Our Lord, One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Ninety-Six, and of the
Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-First
/s/
Christine Todd Whitman
Governor
Attest:
/s/ Harriet
Derman
Chief Counsel to the Governor
|