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{{short description|American politician}}
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'''Bernard James Dwyer''' ([[January 24]], [[1921]], [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey]] - [[October 31]], [[1998]], [[Metuchen, New Jersey]]) was an [[United States|American]] [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] [[politician]], who served as a [[United States Representative]] from [[New Jersey]].
{{for|the Ireland international rugby league footballer|Bernard Dwyer}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Bernard J. Dwyer
| image = Bernard J. Dwyer.jpg
| birth_name = Bernard James Dwyer
| birth_date = {{birth date|1921|1|24}}
| birth_place = [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1998|10|31|1921|01|24}}
| death_place = [[Edison, New Jersey]], U.S.
| office = Member of the<br>[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br>from [[New Jersey]]
| constituency = {{ushr|NJ|15|15th district}} (1981–1983)<br>{{ushr|NJ|6|6th district}} (1983–1993)
| term_start = January 3, 1981
| term_end = January 3, 1993
| predecessor = [[Edward J. Patten]]
| successor = [[Frank Pallone]]
| state_senate1 = New Jersey
| district1 = [[New Jersey's 18th legislative district|18th]]
| term_start1 = 1974
| term_end1 = 1980
| predecessor1 = District created
| successor1 = [[James Bornheimer]]
| office2 = Mayor of [[Mayor of Edison, New Jersey|Edison]]
| term_start2 = 1970
| term_end2 = 1974
| predecessor2 = Anthony Yelencsics
| successor2 = [[Thomas H. Paterniti]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse = Lilyan Sudzina
| children = 1
| allegiance = {{USA}}
| branch = {{flag|United States Navy}}
| serviceyears = 1940–1945
| battles = [[World War II]]
| education = [[Rutgers University–Newark]] (attended)
}}

⚫
'''Bernard James Dwyer''' (January 24, 1921 – October 31, 1998) was an American politician who served as a [[United States representative]] from [[New Jersey]] from 1981 to 1993.

==Early life and education==
Dwyer was born in [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey|Perth Amboy]], [[Middlesex County, New Jersey|Middlesex County]], New Jersey, to Daniel F. and Alice (Zehrer) Dwyer. A [[Roman Catholic]], he attended [[Public school (government funded)|public schools]], graduating from [[Perth Amboy High School]] in 1938.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=iyC5RpVSRJIC&q=%22perth+amboy+high+school%22+%22Bernard+J.+Dwyer%22 ''Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 203, Part 2''], p. 1002. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1989. Accessed August 4, 2019. "Bernard J. Dwyer, Dem., Edison - Mr. Dwyer was born on Jan. 24, 1921, in Perth Amboy. He was graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1938, and has taken courses in insurance at Rutgers University, Newark."</ref> He attended [[Rutgers University–Newark]], but did not earn a degree. He served in the [[United States Navy]] during [[World War II]] (1940&ndash;1945).

== Career ==
Dwyer was an [[insurance broker]] by profession. His political career began when he successfully ran for a seat on the [[Edison, New Jersey]] [[city council]], serving 1958&ndash;1969. He was elected [[Mayor of Edison, New Jersey]] in 1969, serving a single term from 1970 to 1973. Dwyer served as a member of the [[New Jersey Senate]], where he represented the [[New Jersey's 18th legislative district]] from 1974 to 1980.

He was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]], and served six terms (January 3, 1981 &ndash; January 3, 1993). He represented {{ushr|New Jersey|15}} during his first term, but [[redistricting]] after the [[United States Census, 1980|1980 Census]], shifted him to the {{ushr|New Jersey|6|6th district}}.

Dwyer was the last member of Congress who was also a survivor of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, when he retired in 1992.

Dwyer did not seek reelection in 1992, and retired in 1993. Redistricting after the [[United States Census, 1990|1990 Census]] had merged his district with that of fellow Democrat [[Frank Pallone]].


⚫
Dwyer's [[Congressional archives|congressional papers]] are stored at the [[Rutgers University]] Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]]. They include congressional office files consisting chiefly of documentation accumulated while he was a member of the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations]].
Dwyer was born in in [[Perth Amboy, New Jersey|Perth Amboy]], Middlesex County, New Jersey. A [[Roman Catholic]], he attended public elementary and high schools. Dwyer attended [[Rutgers University-Newark]], earning a business degree. He served in the [[U.S. Navy]] during [[World War II]] from 1940 to 1945.


== Personal life ==
Dwyer's profession was that of an insurance broker. His political career began when he successfully ran for a set on the [[Edison, New Jersey]] Town Council, serving from 1958 to 1969. He was elected as mayor the city that year, serving a single four-year term. Dwyer served as a member of [[New Jersey Senate]], where he represented the 18th Legislative District from 1974 to 1980. He was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives]], serving in office starting on [[January 3]], [[1981]], and he served six terms until [[January 3]], [[1993]]. His represented [[New Jersey's 15th congressional district]] during his first term, but in redistricting after the [[United States Census, 1980|1980 Census]], he was shifted to the [[New Jersey's 6th congressional district|6th district]].
He married Lilyan Sudzina in 1944. They had one daughter, Pamela Dwyer Stockton.


A resident of [[Metuchen, New Jersey]], Dwyer died at [[John F. Kennedy Medical Center]] in [[Edison, New Jersey]] on October 31, 1998, of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref>{{cite news|date=November 5, 1998|title=B. J. Dwyer, New Jersey Congressman, 77|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/05/nyregion/b-j-dwyer-new-jersey-congressman-77.html|accessdate=2011-09-30|quote=Bernard James Dwyer, a former Representative from New Jersey, died Saturday in Edison, N.J., at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, which he had served as a trustee. He was 77 and, a longtime Edison resident, had lived in Metuchen, N.J., for the last few years. The cause was a heart attack, his family said.}}</ref> He was buried at St. Gertrude's Cemetery in [[Colonia, New Jersey]].
⚫
Dwyer served in Congress until his retirement in 1993. His papers of 1981 to 1992, are stored at the [[Rutgers University]] Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives in [[New Brunswick, New Jersey]], include congressional office files consisting chiefly of documentation accumulated while he was a member of the [[United States House Committee on Appropriations]].


==References==
Dwyer died on [[October 31]], [[1998]], of a heart attack while driving his car in [[Metuchen, New Jersey]]. He is buried at [[St. Gertrude's Cemetery, Colonia, New Jersey|St. Gertrude's Cemetery]] in [[Colonia, New Jersey]].
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
*{{CongBio|D000586}}
{{Portal|Biography}}
{{CongLinks|congbio=D000586}}
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/dwyer.html#R9M0IVOXD Bernard James Dwyer] at [[The Political Graveyard]]
* {{Find a Grave|7744047|accessdate=2009-03-04}}
* "Bernard James Dwyer." Marquis Who's Who TM. [[Marquis Who's Who]], 2009. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. [[Farmington Hills, Michigan]]: [[Gale (Cengage)|Gale]], 2009. http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC. Document Number: K2016524728. Fee. Accessed 2009-12-08 via [[Fairfax County Public Library]].
*{{C-SPAN}}


{{start box}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{USRepSuccessionBox
{{US House succession box
| state=New Jersey
| district=15
| state=New Jersey
| before=[[Edward J. Patten]]
| district=15
| before=[[Edward J. Patten]]
| years = 1981 - 1983
| years = 1981–1983
| after=District eliminated
| after=District eliminated
}}
}}
{{US House succession box
{{USRepSuccessionBox
| state=New Jersey
| state=New Jersey
| district=6
| district=6
| before=[[Edwin B. Forsythe]]
| before=[[Edwin B. Forsythe]]
| years = 1983 - 1993
| years = 1983–1993
| after=[[Frank Pallone, Jr.]]
| after=[[Frank Pallone]]
}}
}}
{{end box}}
{{s-end}}


{{Authority control}}
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[[Category:1921 births|Dwyer, Bernard]]
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[[Category:1998 deaths|Dwyer, Bernard]]
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[[Category:People from Perth Amboy, New Jersey|Dwyer, Bernard]]
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[[Category:Rutgers University alumni|Dwyer, Bernard]]
[[Category:Irish-American politicians|Dwyer, Bernard J.]]
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[[Category:Mayors of places in New Jersey|Dwyer, Bernard J.]]
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[[Category:Members of the New Jersey Senate|Dwyer, Bernard J.]]
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[[Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey|Dwyer, Bernard J.]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Dwyer, Bernard J.}}
{{NewJersey-politician-stub}}
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[[Category:1921 births]]
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[[Category:1998 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century mayors of places in New Jersey]]
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[[Category:Rutgers University alumni]]
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[[Category:Mayors of Edison, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Democratic Party New Jersey state senators]]
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[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:Politicians from Edison, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Metuchen, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Perth Amboy High School alumni]]
⚫
[[Category:Politicians from Perth Amboy, New Jersey]]
⚫
[[Category:20th-century members of the New Jersey Legislature]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]

Latest revision as of 23:48, 7 December 2024

For the Ireland international rugby league footballer, see Bernard Dwyer.
Bernard J. Dwyer
Member of the
U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey
In office
January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993
Preceded byEdward J. Patten
Succeeded byFrank Pallone
Constituency15th district (1981–1983)
6th district (1983–1993)
Member of the New Jersey Senate
from the 18th district
In office
1974–1980
Preceded byDistrict created
Succeeded byJames Bornheimer
Mayor of Edison
In office
1970–1974
Preceded byAnthony Yelencsics
Succeeded byThomas H. Paterniti
Personal details
Born
Bernard James Dwyer

(1921-01-24)January 24, 1921
Perth Amboy, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedOctober 31, 1998(1998-10-31) (aged 77)
Edison, New Jersey, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseLilyan Sudzina
Children1
EducationRutgers University–Newark (attended)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1940–1945
Battles/warsWorld War II

Bernard James Dwyer (January 24, 1921 – October 31, 1998) was an American politician who served as a United States representative from New Jersey from 1981 to 1993.

Early life and education

[edit]

Dwyer was born in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, to Daniel F. and Alice (Zehrer) Dwyer. A Roman Catholic, he attended public schools, graduating from Perth Amboy High School in 1938.[1] He attended Rutgers University–Newark, but did not earn a degree. He served in the United States Navy during World War II (1940–1945).

Career

[edit]

Dwyer was an insurance broker by profession. His political career began when he successfully ran for a seat on the Edison, New Jersey city council, serving 1958–1969. He was elected Mayor of Edison, New Jersey in 1969, serving a single term from 1970 to 1973. Dwyer served as a member of the New Jersey Senate, where he represented the New Jersey's 18th legislative district from 1974 to 1980.

He was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and served six terms (January 3, 1981 – January 3, 1993). He represented New Jersey's 15th congressional district during his first term, but redistricting after the 1980 Census, shifted him to the 6th district.

Dwyer was the last member of Congress who was also a survivor of the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor, when he retired in 1992.

Dwyer did not seek reelection in 1992, and retired in 1993. Redistricting after the 1990 Census had merged his district with that of fellow Democrat Frank Pallone.

Dwyer's congressional papers are stored at the Rutgers University Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives in New Brunswick, New Jersey. They include congressional office files consisting chiefly of documentation accumulated while he was a member of the United States House Committee on Appropriations.

Personal life

[edit]

He married Lilyan Sudzina in 1944. They had one daughter, Pamela Dwyer Stockton.

A resident of Metuchen, New Jersey, Dwyer died at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey on October 31, 1998, of a heart attack.[2] He was buried at St. Gertrude's Cemetery in Colonia, New Jersey.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 203, Part 2, p. 1002. J.A. Fitzgerald, 1989. Accessed August 4, 2019. "Bernard J. Dwyer, Dem., Edison - Mr. Dwyer was born on Jan. 24, 1921, in Perth Amboy. He was graduated from Perth Amboy High School in 1938, and has taken courses in insurance at Rutgers University, Newark."
  2. ^ "B. J. Dwyer, New Jersey Congressman, 77". The New York Times. November 5, 1998. Retrieved 2011-09-30. Bernard James Dwyer, a former Representative from New Jersey, died Saturday in Edison, N.J., at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center, which he had served as a trustee. He was 77 and, a longtime Edison resident, had lived in Metuchen, N.J., for the last few years. The cause was a heart attack, his family said.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 15th congressional district
1981–1983 		Succeeded by
District eliminated
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 6th congressional district
1983–1993 		Succeeded by
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