Harrison A. Williams
Encyclopedia
Harrison Arlington "Pete" Williams, Jr. (December 10, 1919 November 17, 2001) was a Democrat
who represented New Jersey
in both the United States House of Representatives
(1953–1957) and the United States Senate
(1959–1982). Williams was convicted on May 1, 1981 for taking bribes in the Abscam
sting operation, and resigned from the U.S. Senate in 1982 before a planned expulsion
vote. Williams is one of numerous public officials known to have acknowledged drinking problems during the time.
, and graduated from Oberlin College
in 1941. He engaged in newspaper work in Washington, D.C.
, and studied at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
of Georgetown University
until called to active duty as a seaman in the United States Naval Reserve in 1941. He became a naval aviator and was discharged as a Lieutenant, junior grade
, in 1945. After being employed in the steel industry for a short time, he graduated from Columbia Law School
in 1948, and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in New Hampshire
. He returned to Plainfield in 1949 and continued to practice law, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the New Jersey General Assembly
in 1951 and for city councilman in 1952.
, who went on to serve the Republican Party in state and national leadership roles.
He became the first Democratic senator in the history of New Jersey to ever be elected to four terms. Known as "Pete," Williams fought for a range of social welfare laws and urban transit programs. He was instrumental in passage of such landmark laws as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
, which protects worker pensions, and the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act.
He also helped pass legislation that created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and had a major role in passage of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
, the first federal law to provide mass transportation assistance to states and cities. He also was the chairman of the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
from 1967 through 1971.
Williams was the sponsor of the 1968 Williams Act
(named after him), which regulates tender offers.
at the time, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam
scandal for taking bribes in a sting operation by the FBI
. The Senate Committee on Ethics recommended that Williams be expelled because of his "ethically repugnant" conduct. Prior to a Senate vote on his expulsion, Williams resigned on March 11, 1982. He served time in Federal prison as Inmate #06089-050, the first time in over 80 years that a senator had spent time in prison. He was released on January 31, 1986. He served the remainder of his sentence at the Integrity House halfway house, where he became a member of the board of directors until his death on November 17, 2001. He also attempted to receive a presidential pardon from President Bill Clinton, but his request was denied.
Williams died of cancer and heart ailments at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, New Jersey
, on November 17, 2001. He was a resident of Bedminster Township, New Jersey
.
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...
who represented New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
in both the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(1953–1957) and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
(1959–1982). Williams was convicted on May 1, 1981 for taking bribes in the Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
sting operation, and resigned from the U.S. Senate in 1982 before a planned expulsion
Expulsion from the United States Congress
Expulsion is the most serious form of disciplinary action that can be taken against a Member of Congress. Article I, Section 5 of the United States Constitution provides that "Each House [of Congress] may determine the Rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with...
vote. Williams is one of numerous public officials known to have acknowledged drinking problems during the time.
Biography
Williams was born in Plainfield, New JerseyPlainfield, New Jersey
Plainfield is a city in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population increased to a record high of 49,808....
, and graduated from Oberlin College
Oberlin College
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in 1941. He engaged in newspaper work in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and studied at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service
The Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service is a school within Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., United States. Jesuit priest Edmund A...
of Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
until called to active duty as a seaman in the United States Naval Reserve in 1941. He became a naval aviator and was discharged as a Lieutenant, junior grade
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
, in 1945. After being employed in the steel industry for a short time, he graduated from Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School
Columbia Law School, founded in 1858, is one of the oldest and most prestigious law schools in the United States. A member of the Ivy League, Columbia Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Columbia University in New York City. It offers the J.D., LL.M., and J.S.D. degrees in...
in 1948, and was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. He returned to Plainfield in 1949 and continued to practice law, and was an unsuccessful candidate for 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...
in 1951 and for city councilman in 1952.
Congressional service
Williams was elected to the House of Representatives in a special election in 1953, and was re-elected in 1954 but defeated for re-election in 1956. He was elected to the Senate in 1958 and re-elected in 1964, 1970 and 1976. In 1976, he defeated David A. NorcrossDavid A. Norcross
David A. Norcross is an American Republican Party politician who ran for United States Senate in 1976 and served as Chairman of the New Jersey Republican State Committee.-Biography:...
, who went on to serve the Republican Party in state and national leadership roles.
He became the first Democratic senator in the history of New Jersey to ever be elected to four terms. Known as "Pete," Williams fought for a range of social welfare laws and urban transit programs. He was instrumental in passage of such landmark laws as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is an American federal statute that establishes minimum standards for pension plans in private industry and provides for extensive rules on the federal income tax effects of transactions associated with employee benefit plans...
, which protects worker pensions, and the 1969 Coal Mine Safety and Health Act.
He also helped pass legislation that created the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Labor. It was created by Congress of the United States under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, signed by President Richard M. Nixon, on December 29, 1970...
and had a major role in passage of the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964
The Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 provided $375 million for large-scale urban public or private rail projects in the form of matching funds to cities and states. The Urban Mass Transportation Administration was created...
, the first federal law to provide mass transportation assistance to states and cities. He also was the chairman of the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
United States Senate Special Committee on Aging
The United States Senate Special Committee on Aging was initially established in 1961 as a temporary committee; it became a permanent Senate committee in 1977...
from 1967 through 1971.
Williams was the sponsor of the 1968 Williams Act
Williams Act
The Williams Act refers to amendments to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 enacted in 1968 regarding tender offers. The legislation was proposed by Senator Harrison A. Williams of New Jersey....
(named after him), which regulates tender offers.
Scandal and retirement
In 1980, Williams, a resident of Westfield, New JerseyWestfield, New Jersey
Westfield is a town in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 30,316. The old village area, now the downtown district, was settled in 1720 as part of the Elizabethtown Tract....
at the time, was convicted of bribery and conspiracy in the Abscam
Abscam
Abscam was a United States Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation run from the FBI's Hauppauge, Long Island, office in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
scandal for taking bribes in a sting operation by the FBI
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
. The Senate Committee on Ethics recommended that Williams be expelled because of his "ethically repugnant" conduct. Prior to a Senate vote on his expulsion, Williams resigned on March 11, 1982. He served time in Federal prison as Inmate #06089-050, the first time in over 80 years that a senator had spent time in prison. He was released on January 31, 1986. He served the remainder of his sentence at the Integrity House halfway house, where he became a member of the board of directors until his death on November 17, 2001. He also attempted to receive a presidential pardon from President Bill Clinton, but his request was denied.
Williams died of cancer and heart ailments at St. Clare's Hospital in Denville, New Jersey
Denville, New Jersey
Denville is a township in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 16,635. Denville is known as the "Hub of Morris County" for its location along major transportation routes at the center of the county...
, on November 17, 2001. He was a resident of Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township, New Jersey
Bedminster Township is a Township in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,165....
.