(1930 - 2009)
It is with great honor, appreciation, and respect that NJ Transit Corporationdedicated the Red Bank Train Station to the Honorable Daniel J. O'Hern(1930 - 2009) Daniel J. O'Hern, a devoted son of Red Bank, served not only his town, but also his state and nation. He grew up a short walk from here, at 60 Locust Avenue. His attachment to this train station began when he commuted to Regis High School in Manhattan. In 1951, O'Hern graduated from Fordham University with honors. He served as a Lieutenant J.G. in the Navy during the Korean War. He graduated from Harvard Law School with honors in 1957 and then was a judicial clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, Jr. He returned to his beloved Red Bank where he practiced law and became a public servant. He was a Red Bank Councilman from 1962 - 1968 and Mayor from 1968 - 1978. Governor Brendan T. Bryne named him DEP Commissioner in 1978 and Chief Counsel in 1979. In 1981, Governor Bryne nominated O'Hern to the New Jersey Supreme Court, on which he served as an Associate Justice until 2000.It was during his tenure as Mayor that O'Hern cemented his relationship with this train station. In 1963, O'Hern saw how the demolition of the original New York Penn Station, a breathtaking structure, demoralized the public. So in the 1970s, when the State wanted to tear down this beautiful Victorian station, O'Hern successfully fought to preserve it because he believed in the words written by the New York Times that, "society will be judged not by the monuments we build but by those we have destroyed."O'Hern was a kind, humble, and courteous man. He was a man without enemies. His integrity, morality, and compassion knew no bounds. His life is a model of inspiration for each of us. And this train station is a reminder that one person can enhance the lives of many and make a stand for the betterment of all.
The Daniel J. O'Hern StationDedicated November 28, 2014
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