Frank S. Farley
| Frank S. Farley | |
|---|---|
Senator Frank S. "Hap" Farley with President of Ventnor City Council, Meyer I. "Mike" Segal
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| President of the New Jersey Senate | |
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In office 1945 |
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| Preceded by | George H. Stanger |
| Succeeded by | Haydn Proctor |
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In office 1962 |
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| Preceded by | Robert C. Crane |
| Succeeded by | William E. Ozzard |
| Member of the New Jersey Senate | |
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In office 1941 – January 11, 1972 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas D. Taggart, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Joseph McGahn |
| Constituency |
Atlantic County (1941–66) 1st district (1966–68) 2nd district (1968–72) |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the Atlantic County district |
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In office 1938–1941 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 1, 1901 Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | September 24, 1977 (aged 75) Ventnor City, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Marie Fey |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Francis Sherman "Hap" Farley (December 1, 1901 – September 24, 1977) was a New Jersey State Senator from Atlantic County, New Jersey, who exercised considerable power on the local and state levels for several decades. He served for what was then a record 34 years in the New Jersey Legislature and between the early 1940s and the early 1970s was the "boss" of the Republican political machine that controlled the Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Atlantic County governments.
Farley was born December 1, 1901, in Atlantic City, the youngest of ten children born to James and Maria (Clowney) Farley. As a youth, teammates gave him the nickname "Happy", which was shortened to "Hap" as he got older. He attended Wenonah Military Academy and the University of Pennsylvania, before graduating from Georgetown Law School in 1925.
In 1937, Farley was elected to represent Atlantic County in the New Jersey Assembly, and in 1940 he was elected to the New Jersey Senate. In 1941, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson, boss of the Atlantic City/Atlantic County Republican political machine, was convicted of income tax evasion and sent to prison. Farley, after a struggle with rival Thomas D. Taggart, Jr., mayor of Atlantic City, succeeded Johnson as the leader of the organization.
Farley rose through the leadership ranks of the State Senate to become Senate majority leader in January, 1944. By early 1945 he was Senate President. As state senator, Farley was president of the "21 Club", which was composed of New Jersey's county Republican chairmen, and which provided a basis for Farley to exert statewide political influence.
Among the projects that Farley actively promoted and was instrumental in accomplishing were Atlantic City Race Course, the Garden State Parkway (which was referred to by North Jersey legislators as "Farley's Folly"), the Atlantic City Expressway (the service plaza, Farley Service Plaza, of which is now named in his honor), the Atlantic City Marina (now Senator Frank S. Farley State Marina), , and the construction of county community colleges. Farley believed that his political success lay primarily in persuading other legislators “not to hurt us if you can’t help us”, and in treating other legislators the same way.
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