Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Mount Laurel Township is a Township
in Burlington County
, New Jersey
, United States, and is an edge city
"suburb" of Philadelphia. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 40,221. It is also the home of NFL Films
.
Mount Laurel Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
on March 7, 1872, from portions of Evesham Township
.
Ramblewood
is a census-designated place
and unincorporated area located within Mount Laurel Township.
, the township has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.8 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
of 2000, there were 40,221 people, 16,570 households, and 11,068 families residing in the township. The population density
was 1,844.3 people per square mile (712.0/km²). There were 17,163 housing units at an average density of 787.0 per square mile (303.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.10% White, 6.92% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
There were 16,570 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $76,288. Males had a median income of $55,597 versus $37,198 for females. The per capita income
for the township was $32,245. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
system under the Faulkner Act
. In this form of government the Township Manager oversees the daily functions of the Township.
Township government consists of a Township Committee consists of five members elected at large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.
, members of the Mount Laurel Township Committee are Mayor
Jim Keenan, Deputy Mayor
Linda Bobo, David D'Antonio, Chris Smith and Lynn Solomon.
Mount Laurel is in the
Laurel Acres Park is known for its Veteran's Memorial, fishing lake, playground, and huge grassy hill used for concerts and sledding in the winter, Laurel Acres Park is right between Church Street at Union Mill Road. The Mount Laurel Baseball League and the Mount Laurel United Soccer Club play in the park's sports fields, and since 2008, the Mount Laurel Premiership.
. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
) are six K-4 elementary schools —
Countryside (329 students),
Fleetwood (356),
Hillside (395),
Larchmont (404),
Parkway (381) and
Springville (427) —
Mount Laurel Hartford School for grades 5 & 6 (1,015 students) and
Thomas E. Harrington Middle School for grades 7 & 8 (1,035).
Parkway Elementary School was one of four schools in New Jersey recognized by the national Blue Ribbon Schools Program
, awarded by the United States Department of Education
, for the 2005–06 school year.
Public school students in Mount Laurel Township for grades 9-12 attend Lenape High School
, located in Medford Township. The high school is one of four schools in the Lenape Regional High School District
, which serves students from Evesham Township
, Medford Lakes
, Medford Township
, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township
, Southampton Township
, Tabernacle Township
and Woodland Township
.
passes through Mount Laurel Township. The Turnpike's James Fenimore Cooper
rest area
is located between Interchanges 4 and 5 northbound at milepost 39.4. Mount Laurel hosts Exit 4 of the Turnpike, with the 4 toll gate consisting of 8 lanes at the gate.
Interstate 295
passes through the township, with three exits (Exit 36: Berlin/Tacony Bridge/Route 73, Exit 40: Moorestown/Mount Holly/Route 38, Exit 43: Delran/Rancocas Woods). Two other major thoroughfares through Mount Laurel are Route 38 and Route 73.
New Jersey Transit
provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 317 and 413 bus routes, with local service on the 457 line.
that requires municipalities to use their zoning powers in an affirmative manner to provide a realistic opportunity for the production of housing affordable to low and moderate income households. The decision was a result of a lawsuit brought against the town by the N.A.A.C.P. that was decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court
in 1975 and reaffirmed in a subsequent decision in 1983.
The history behind this, and the story leading to the Decision was highlighted in a book by David L. Kirp called "Our Town".
Mount Laurel was a small, poor rural farming community until it was hit with massive suburban growth from Philadelphia in the latter 1900s. Poor families, whose history had resided there for centuries, were suddenly priced and forced out. In 1970, at a meeting about a proposal for affordable housing, held at an all black church in Mount Laurel, Mayor Bill Haines summed up the newcomers perspectives by saying "If you people can't afford to live in our town, then you'll just have to leave."
Even though the poor black families in Mount Laurel were not from urban ghettos, and were not involved in gang activity, the new suburban influx thought otherwise, and significantly delayed the creation of affordable housing, citing concerns of gang activity and an influx of inner city criminals. Exampled comments from town meetings against affordable housing included "we need this like Custer needed more Indians"; "it's reverse discrimination"; "we lived in this in South Philly and Newark" they said, and that the housing would be a "breeding ground for violent crime and drug abuse".
Resident advocates of the housing were treated with abuse and threats. Leading advocate Ethel Lawrence, a poor black resident who lived her life in Mount Laurel, had her house repeatedly vandalized, and once her bedroom window was shot at. Long time white residents also turned to try to force the poor blacks out of town. Although the court ruled in favor of creating affordable housing, residents did manage to delay the process for decades.
Township (New Jersey)
A township, in the context of New Jersey local government, refers to one of five types and one of eleven forms of municipal government. As a political entity, a township is a full-fledged municipality, on par with any town, city, borough, or village, collecting property taxes and providing...
in Burlington County
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
, 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...
, United States, and is an edge city
Edge city
"Edge city" is an American term for a concentration of business, shopping, and entertainment outside a traditional urban area in what had recently been a residential suburb or semi-rural community...
"suburb" of Philadelphia. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 40,221. It is also the home of NFL Films
NFL Films
NFL Films is a Mount Laurel, New Jersey-based company devoted to producing commercials, television programs, feature films, and documentaries on the National Football League, as well as other unrelated major events and awards shows...
.
Mount Laurel Township was incorporated as a township by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the Senate...
on March 7, 1872, from portions of Evesham Township
Evesham Township, New Jersey
Evesham Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The township population was 45,538 as of the 2010 United States Census....
.
Ramblewood
Ramblewood, New Jersey
Ramblewood is a census-designated place located within Mount Laurel Township, in Burlington County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 6,003.-Geography:Ramblewood is located at ....
is a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
and unincorporated area located within Mount Laurel Township.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the township has a total area of 21.9 square miles (56.8 km²), of which, 21.8 square miles (56.5 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) of it (0.55%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 40,221 people, 16,570 households, and 11,068 families residing in the township. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,844.3 people per square mile (712.0/km²). There were 17,163 housing units at an average density of 787.0 per square mile (303.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.10% White, 6.92% African American, 0.09% Native American, 3.80% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.64% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.24% of the population.
There were 16,570 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the township the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the township was $63,750, and the median income for a family was $76,288. Males had a median income of $55,597 versus $37,198 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the township was $32,245. About 2.5% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 2.9% of those age 65 or over.
Local government
Mount Laurel Township changed its form of government in 1970 from a Township Committee form to a Council-ManagerFaulkner Act (Council-Manager)
The Faulkner Act, or Optional Municipal Charter Law, provides for New Jersey municipalities to adopt a Council-Manager government.The council consists of 5, 7, or 9 members elected by the public...
system under the Faulkner Act
Faulkner Act (New Jersey)
The Optional Municipal Charter Law or Faulkner Act provides New Jersey municipalities with a variety of models of local government. This legislation is called the Faulkner Act in honor of the late Bayard H...
. In this form of government the Township Manager oversees the daily functions of the Township.
Township government consists of a Township Committee consists of five members elected at large in partisan elections to serve four-year terms on a staggered basis, with one or two seats coming up for election each year.
, members of the Mount Laurel Township Committee are Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
Jim Keenan, Deputy Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Deputy mayor is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official in many local governments. Many elected deputy mayors are members of the city council who are given the title and serve as acting mayor in the mayor's absence...
Linda Bobo, David D'Antonio, Chris Smith and Lynn Solomon.
Federal, state and county representation
Mount Laurel Township is in the 3rd Congressional district.Mount Laurel is in the
Landmarks
Education
For Kindergarten through eighth grade, public school students attend the Mount Laurel SchoolsMount Laurel Schools
The Mount Laurel Schools is a public school district that serves students in Kindergarten through eighth grade from Mount Laurel Township in Burlington County, New Jersey....
. Schools in the district (with 2008-09 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
The National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
) are six K-4 elementary schools —
Countryside (329 students),
Fleetwood (356),
Hillside (395),
Larchmont (404),
Parkway (381) and
Springville (427) —
Mount Laurel Hartford School for grades 5 & 6 (1,015 students) and
Thomas E. Harrington Middle School for grades 7 & 8 (1,035).
Parkway Elementary School was one of four schools in New Jersey recognized by the national Blue Ribbon Schools Program
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
, awarded by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, for the 2005–06 school year.
Public school students in Mount Laurel Township for grades 9-12 attend Lenape High School
Lenape High School
Lenape High School is a four-year regional public high school located in Medford Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. It is the oldest of the four high schools that comprise the Lenape Regional High School District, which serves students from Evesham Township, Medford Lakes,...
, located in Medford Township. The high school is one of four schools in the Lenape Regional High School District
Lenape Regional High School District
The Lenape Regional High School District is a regional public high school district that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from eight municipalities in Burlington County, New Jersey...
, which serves students from Evesham Township
Evesham Township, New Jersey
Evesham Township is a township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. The township population was 45,538 as of the 2010 United States Census....
, Medford Lakes
Medford Lakes, New Jersey
Medford Lakes is a Borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the borough population was 4,173....
, Medford Township
Medford Township, New Jersey
Medford is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 22,253....
, Mount Laurel Township, Shamong Township
Shamong Township, New Jersey
Shamong Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 6,462....
, Southampton Township
Southampton Township, New Jersey
Southampton Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 10,388....
, Tabernacle Township
Tabernacle Township, New Jersey
Tabernacle Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the township population was 7,170....
and Woodland Township
Woodland Township, New Jersey
- Local government :Woodland Township is governed under the Township form of government with a three-member Township Committee. The Township Committee is elected directly by the voters in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with one seat coming up for...
.
Transportation
The New Jersey TurnpikeNew Jersey Turnpike
The New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey, maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. According to the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association, the Turnpike is the nation's sixth-busiest toll road and is among one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United...
passes through Mount Laurel Township. The Turnpike's James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
rest area
Rest area
A rest area, travel plaza, rest stop, or service area is a public facility, located next to a large thoroughfare such as a highway, expressway, or freeway at which drivers and passengers can rest, eat, or refuel without exiting on to secondary roads...
is located between Interchanges 4 and 5 northbound at milepost 39.4. Mount Laurel hosts Exit 4 of the Turnpike, with the 4 toll gate consisting of 8 lanes at the gate.
Interstate 295
Interstate 295 (Delaware-New Jersey)
Interstate 295 in New Jersey and Delaware is an auxiliary Interstate Highway, designated as a bypass around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The route begins at a junction with Interstate 95 south of Wilmington, Delaware, and runs to another junction with I-95 north of Trenton, New Jersey...
passes through the township, with three exits (Exit 36: Berlin/Tacony Bridge/Route 73, Exit 40: Moorestown/Mount Holly/Route 38, Exit 43: Delran/Rancocas Woods). Two other major thoroughfares through Mount Laurel are Route 38 and Route 73.
New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
provides bus service to Philadelphia on the 317 and 413 bus routes, with local service on the 457 line.
Mount Laurel Decision
The Mount Laurel Decision is a judicial interpretation of the New Jersey State ConstitutionNew Jersey State Constitution
The Constitution of the State of New Jersey is the basic governing document of the State of New Jersey. In addition to three British Royal Charters issued for East Jersey, West Jersey and united New Jersey while they were still colonies, the state has been governed by three constitutions...
that requires municipalities to use their zoning powers in an affirmative manner to provide a realistic opportunity for the production of housing affordable to low and moderate income households. The decision was a result of a lawsuit brought against the town by the N.A.A.C.P. that was decided by the New Jersey Supreme Court
New Jersey Supreme Court
The New Jersey Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It has existed in three different forms under the three different state constitutions since the independence of the state in 1776...
in 1975 and reaffirmed in a subsequent decision in 1983.
The history behind this, and the story leading to the Decision was highlighted in a book by David L. Kirp called "Our Town".
Mount Laurel was a small, poor rural farming community until it was hit with massive suburban growth from Philadelphia in the latter 1900s. Poor families, whose history had resided there for centuries, were suddenly priced and forced out. In 1970, at a meeting about a proposal for affordable housing, held at an all black church in Mount Laurel, Mayor Bill Haines summed up the newcomers perspectives by saying "If you people can't afford to live in our town, then you'll just have to leave."
Even though the poor black families in Mount Laurel were not from urban ghettos, and were not involved in gang activity, the new suburban influx thought otherwise, and significantly delayed the creation of affordable housing, citing concerns of gang activity and an influx of inner city criminals. Exampled comments from town meetings against affordable housing included "we need this like Custer needed more Indians"; "it's reverse discrimination"; "we lived in this in South Philly and Newark" they said, and that the housing would be a "breeding ground for violent crime and drug abuse".
Resident advocates of the housing were treated with abuse and threats. Leading advocate Ethel Lawrence, a poor black resident who lived her life in Mount Laurel, had her house repeatedly vandalized, and once her bedroom window was shot at. Long time white residents also turned to try to force the poor blacks out of town. Although the court ruled in favor of creating affordable housing, residents did manage to delay the process for decades.
Notable residents
Notable current and former residents of Mount Laurel Township include:- Brian AitkenBrian AitkenBrian Aitken is a former resident of the US state of New Jersey who was arrested and imprisoned there for possession of handguns legally purchased in Colorado, but transported in violation of New Jersey's gun laws. His case has become a battleground for gun control advocates and opponents alike...
(born 1983), convicted on gun-related charges, subsequently became the only individual to be granted executive clemency from Governor Chris Christie. - Larry ChatzidakisLarry ChatzidakisLarry Chatzidakis is an American Republican Party politician, who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1997-2008, where he represented the 8th legislative district. Chatzidakis had been appointed in 1997 to fill the Assembly seat vacated by Martha W...
(born 1949), represents the 8th legislative district in the New Jersey General AssemblyNew Jersey General AssemblyThe 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...
. Chatzidakis served on the Mount Laurel Township Council from 1985–2000 and was its MayorMayorIn many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000. - Matt DukeMatt Duke (musician)Matthew Thomas Duke is an American musician and singer-songwriter who was born in Reston, Virginia and raised in Mount Laurel Township, New Jersey. He released an independent album, Winter Child, through the student-run Mad Dragon Records at Drexel University in Philadelphia...
(born 1985), singer-songwriter/musician. - Neil HartmanNeil HartmanNeil Hartman is an award-winning sports personality for Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia.Hartman was honored by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association as the state's Sportscaster of the Year in 2000. Hartman's career spans over 30 years...
, Comcast SportsNetComcast SportsNetComcast SportsNet is a group of regional sports networks in the United States primarily owned by the Comcast cable television company....
sports anchor. - Victor HobsonVictor HobsonVictor Brian Hobson is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
(born 1980), pro football linebacker. - Jirair HovnanianJirair HovnanianJirair S. Hovnanian was an Armenian Iraqi-American home builder based in New Jersey. Hovnanian's business developed and built over 6,000 houses throughout South Jersey.-Early life:...
(1927–2007), home builder whose business developed and built over 6,000 houses throughout South Jersey. - John KrukJohn KrukJohn Martin Kruk is a former Major League Baseball player and current baseball analyst for ESPN.-Early life and career:...
(born 1961), former Major League Baseball player, notably with the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. - Alice PaulAlice PaulAlice Stokes Paul was an American suffragist and activist. Along with Lucy Burns and others, she led a successful campaign for women's suffrage that resulted in the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in 1920.-Activism: Alice Paul received her undergraduate education from...
(1885–1977), leader of a campaign for women's suffrage resulting in passage of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. - Dave Robinson (born 1941), former football player for Penn State University, the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
and the Washington RedskinsWashington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. - Jon RunyanJon RunyanJon Daniel Runyan is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He is a former American football offensive tackle in the National Football League, where he played for fourteen seasons. He was a participant in the 2003 Pro Bowl following the 2002 NFL season...
(born 1973), U.S. Congressman who played offensive tackle for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Scott SchoeneweisScott SchoeneweisScott David Schoeneweis is an American Major League Baseball left-handed relief pitcher who is currently a free agent.In the five seasons from 2003–07, Schoeneweis allowed only one home run to left-handed batters...
(born 1973), a relief pitcherRelief pitcherA relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who played for the New York MetsNew York MetsThe New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. - Jill ScottJill ScottJill Scott is an American soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. In 2007, Scott made her cinematic debut in the films Hounddog and in Tyler Perry's feature film, Why Did I Get Married? That year, her third studio album, The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, was released on...
(born 1972), soul and R&B singer-songwriter, poet, and actress. - Vai SikahemaVai SikahemaVai S. Sikahema is a Tongan former American football player. The first Tongan ever to play in the National Football League , he played running back and kickoff returner in the league for eight seasons, from 1986 to 1993. He played college football for the Brigham Young University Cougars, and was...
(born 1962), former Pro Bowl punt returner for the Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, currently head sportscaster for NBC News. - Phillip Spaeth (born 1986), actor/dancer on the BroadwayBroadway theatreBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production of WickedWicked (musical)Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
and played the role of council member "Fender" in New Line Cinema's 2007 production of HairsprayHairspray (2007 film)Hairspray is a 2007 musical film produced by Kolaja Productions and distributed by New Line Cinema. It was released in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom on July 20, 2007. The film is an adaptation of the 2002 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was based on John...
. - Jason ThompsonJason Thompson (basketball)Jason Carlton Thompson is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the NBA. He was the starting center of the Rider University men's basketball team until 2008...
(born 1986), the 12th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft2008 NBA DraftThe 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
(by the Sacramento KingsSacramento KingsThe Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
) after completing his collegiate basketball career at Rider UniversityRider UniversityRider University is a private, coeducational and nonsectarian university located chiefly in Lawrenceville, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
. - Stephen M. WolownikStephen M. WolownikStephen M. "Steve" Wolownik was a pioneer in the Russian and Eastern European music community in the United States. He was a co-founder of the .- Biography :...
(1946–2000), pioneer in the Russian and Eastern European music community in the United States.
External links
- Mount Laurel Township website
- Mount Laurel Schools
- Data for the Mount Laurel Schools, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...
- Lenape Regional High School District
- Mount Laurel Public Library
- Our Town: Mount Laurel
- Our neighbor, Mount Laurel by George Decou, an early history of Mount Laurel Township
- Revolutionary War sites in Mount Laurel, with photographs