George Otlowski
Encyclopedia
George John Otlowski was an American publisher turned Democratic Party
politician who served on the Middlesex County, New Jersey
Board of Chosen Freeholders
for eight years, in the New Jersey General Assembly
for 18 years, and as Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
for 14 years.
, as president of a company that printed Polish language
newspapers for the large Polish community in the area. He became active in the city's Democratic political machine, which was led by former New Jersey Attorney General
David T. Wilentz
. In 1944, he took a position as assistant to Perth Amboy's mayor, John Delaney.
Otlowski first sought elective office in 1955, winning the first of two terms on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In the 1962 primary for the newly formed New Jersey's 15th congressional district
, Otlowski lost to Edward J. Patten
, a former mayor of Perth Amboy. He won his first General Assembly race in 1973, representing the 19th Legislative District
and served there until 1992. In the Assembly, he supported legislation to aid the mentally ill and those living in nursing homes, and helped create Middlesex County College
. In the 1991 primary elections, Otlowski a three-way race for the two Assembly seats in the district.
Perth Amboy elected him as its mayor in 1976, serving what The Star-Ledger
described as a "stormy tenure". In the years following his election, the city saw a major demographic change with a substantial increase in the Hispanic
population and gradually The Star-Ledger described how the people "were turning against him". Two Hispanic candidates ran against Otlowski in the 1988 mayoral race, with Joseph Vas
coming in second by 325 votes. In 1989, the candidates Otlowski had supported for city council lost in the local elections and he was unable to work with the slate that won election. By 1990, he was facing a recall election
petition led by Vas and he decided to step down two years into his term of office, saying "I had a lot of fun being mayor. There were tremendous challenges. It was like fighting some kind of dragon."
Otlowski lived on Kennedy Street in Perth Amboy, just blocks from where he was born. He died of old age at 97 on March 16, 2009, at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy. He wrote an obituary for himself in his later years that said "He loved the city as strongly and deeply as he loved his family".
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politician who served on the Middlesex County, New Jersey
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
Board of Chosen Freeholders
Board of Chosen Freeholders
In New Jersey, the Boards of Chosen Freeholders are the county legislatures in each of that state's 21 counties.- Origin :New Jersey's system of naming county legislators "freeholders" is unique in the United States...
for eight years, in the New Jersey General Assembly
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.Since the election of 1967 , the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts for a term of two years, each representing districts with average...
for 18 years, and as Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey
Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey:*Wilda Diaz 2008 to present*Joseph Vas 2007 to 2008.*George John Otlowski 1976 to 1990.*James J. Flynn, Jr. 1950-1970.*Edward James Patten 1934 to 1940.*William C. Wilson 1921-1926.*U. B. Watson 1881....
for 14 years.
Biography
He was born on January 3, 1912. His first job was at an asphalt company working as a water boy, having lied about his age and claiming he was 16. Otlowski's initial career was as in publishingPublishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, as president of a company that printed Polish language
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
newspapers for the large Polish community in the area. He became active in the city's Democratic political machine, which was led by former New Jersey Attorney General
New Jersey Attorney General
The Attorney General of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state. The office is appointed by the Governor of New Jersey and term limited...
David T. Wilentz
David T. Wilentz
David Theodore Wilentz was the Attorney General of New Jersey from 1934 to 1944. In 1935 he successfully prosecuted Bruno Hauptmann in the Lindbergh kidnapping trial...
. In 1944, he took a position as assistant to Perth Amboy's mayor, John Delaney.
Otlowski first sought elective office in 1955, winning the first of two terms on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. In the 1962 primary for the newly formed New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's 15th congressional district
New Jersey's Fifteenth Congressional District in the House of Representatives was a relatively short-lived district that was created after the 1960 Census and eliminated after the 1980 Census....
, Otlowski lost to Edward J. Patten
Edward J. Patten
Edward James Patten was an American lawyer and politician. Patten, a Democrat, represented the now-redistricted New Jersey's 15th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for seventeen years, lasting from 1963 until 1980.-Background:Patten was born and attended public...
, a former mayor of Perth Amboy. He won his first General Assembly race in 1973, representing the 19th Legislative District
19th Legislative District (New Jersey)
New Jersey's 19th Legislative District is one of 40 in the state, covering the Middlesex County municipalities of Carteret Borough, Perth Amboy City, Sayreville Borough, South Amboy City and Woodbridge Township...
and served there until 1992. In the Assembly, he supported legislation to aid the mentally ill and those living in nursing homes, and helped create Middlesex County College
Middlesex County College
Middlesex County College is a community college with its main campus located in Edison, New Jersey, United States. The two-year college serves the needs of Middlesex County, as well as surrounding communities. There are two urban campuses located in New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.The college was...
. In the 1991 primary elections, Otlowski a three-way race for the two Assembly seats in the district.
Perth Amboy elected him as its mayor in 1976, serving what The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger
The Star-Ledger is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to The Jersey Journal of Jersey City, The Times of Trenton and the Staten Island Advance, all of which are owned by Advance Publications.The Newark Star-Ledgers daily...
described as a "stormy tenure". In the years following his election, the city saw a major demographic change with a substantial increase in the Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
population and gradually The Star-Ledger described how the people "were turning against him". Two Hispanic candidates ran against Otlowski in the 1988 mayoral race, with Joseph Vas
Joseph Vas
Joseph Vas is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2004–2010, where he represented the 19th Legislative District. He did not seek re-election to the assembly in 2009. He also served as Mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey from 1990 to 2008...
coming in second by 325 votes. In 1989, the candidates Otlowski had supported for city council lost in the local elections and he was unable to work with the slate that won election. By 1990, he was facing a recall election
Recall election
A recall election is a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before his or her term has ended...
petition led by Vas and he decided to step down two years into his term of office, saying "I had a lot of fun being mayor. There were tremendous challenges. It was like fighting some kind of dragon."
Otlowski lived on Kennedy Street in Perth Amboy, just blocks from where he was born. He died of old age at 97 on March 16, 2009, at Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy. He wrote an obituary for himself in his later years that said "He loved the city as strongly and deeply as he loved his family".