Former Gov. James J. Florio to discuss memoir in appearance at Rowan

Rowan University’s Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship will host former New Jersey Governor James J. Florio for “A Midsummer’s Night of Politics & Prose” on Thursday, August 2.

Florio, who was the state’s 49^th governor, serving from 1990-94, will discuss his newly published memoir, Standing on Principle: Lessons Learned in Public Life (Rutgers University Press).

The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m. in Room 104 of Business Hall. A book signing will follow. Prior to the program, there will be a reception for all attendees beginning at 6 p.m.

Anyone interested in attending the event should visit go.rowan.edu/Florio by July 25 to register.

In Standing on Principle, Florio tells how he dropped out of high school to join the Navy as a teenager and later became an attorney, state assemblyman, congressman and governor.

Known as a progressive reformer and passionate defender of the environment, Florio played a crucial role in the enactment of Superfund laws in the 1980s, the groundbreaking Clean Water Enforcement Act, and the establishment of the New Jersey Pinelands National Reserve.

As governor, he spearheaded the passage of the nation’s strongest assault weapons ban. However, leading such change came at a cost to Florio. In 1993, he was defeated in his bid for re-election.

A Democrat, Florio was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving New Jersey’s First District from 1975-90. He was a state Assemblyman from 1970-75.

“A Midsummer’s Night of Politics & Prose” is the first event for the newly launched Rowan University Institute for Public Policy & Citizenship (RIPPAC).

“Jim Florio’s legacy of public service is second-to-none in the annals of New Jersey history,” explains Ben Dworkin, founding director of RIPPAC. “His view that politics requires ‘informing and engaging’ the public for success is as relevant today as when he served in elected office.”

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