On December 16, 2002, Tom Kean was named by President George W. Bush to head the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. The Commission’s work culminated on July 22, 2004, with the release of the 9/11 Commission Report, which quickly became a national bestseller. Its recommendations resulted in the largest intelligence reform in the nation’s history. Kean served as the chairman of the 9/11 Public Discourse Project, a nonprofit entity created with private funds to continue the Commission’s work of guarding against future attacks.
As Governor, Kean was rated among America’s most effective state leaders by Newsweek magazine; noted for tax cuts that spurred 750,000 new jobs; a federally replicated welfare reform program; landmark environmental policies; and more than 30 education reforms. He delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Republican National Convention. He was reelected for a second term by the largest margin in state history. While Governor, he served on the President’s Education Policy Advisory Committee and as chair of the Education Commission of the States and the National Governor’s Association Task Force on Teaching. He remains one of the most popular governors in New Jersey’s history.
Tom Kean served as president of Drew University from 1990 until 2005. During his 15-year tenure, he focused on shaping Drew into one of the nation’s leading small liberal arts universities by stressing the primacy of teaching, the creative use of technology in the liberal arts, and the importance of international education. During Kean’s presidency, applications to Drew increased by more than 40 percent; the endowment nearly tripled; and more than $60 million was committed to construction of new buildings and renovation of older buildings, principally student residence halls.
Kean served on several national committees and commissions. He headed the American delegation to the UN Conference on Youth in Thailand, served as vice chairman of the American delegation to the World Conference on Women in Beijing, and served as a member of President Clinton’s Initiative on Race. He also served on the National Endowment for Democracy. He holds more than 30 honorary degrees and numerous awards from environmental and educational organizations.
Kean was first elected to Carnegie Corporation of New York's board of trustees in 1990 and served 22 years as chair until June 2024. He now serves as an honorary trustee. In addition, he has served on a number of corporate boards and chaired the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. At present, he serves as cochair of JerseyCan and is vice chairman of the Environmental Defense Fund and the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations. He serves on the board of the Seeing Eye and is the former chair of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest health philanthropy. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Art & Sciences.
He holds a BA from Princeton University and an MA from Columbia University Teachers College and has served as a trustee of both institutions. Kean is the author of The Politics of Inclusion, published by the Free Press and is coauthor of Without Precedent, published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. He wrote an award-winning column for The Star Ledger with former Governor Brendan Byrne and appears as a regular commentator on NJTV News. He has twin sons, Tom and Reed, and a daughter, Alexandra, and resides in Bedminster, New Jersey.
Awards:
- Frederick Heldring Global Leadership Award
- NAICU Award for Advocacy of Independent Higher Education
- Four Freedoms Award
- NAACP Man of the Year
- Teachers College Medal for Distinguished Service
- Heart of Gold Award (Freedom Foundation Award)
- Statesman of our Decade (LD Access Foundation)
- New Jersey Alliance for Action Lifetime Achievement Award
- The Woodrow Wilson Award (Princeton University)
- Building Bridges Award (Presented by Voices of September 11)
- National Wildlife Federation Conservation Achievement Award
- Visionary Leadership Award (Christopher Reeve Foundation)
- Jefferson Award for Public Service (American Institute for Public Service)
- Pilgrims of the United States Medallion of Service to the Nation
- Woodrow Wilson Medal for Distinguished Service to Education
