Robert Klein

Robert R. Klein, 89, of Ewing died March 3, 2020. Born in Brooklyn, he was a resident of Mercer County for over 50 years.

Mr. Klein had a long career in politics and political science. He served in the U.S. Foreign Service, and was stationed in India, Haiti, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. He was supervisor of the N.J. Civil Rights Division. He was the chief speechwriter and policy aide for N.J. Gov. Richard Hughes, a position in which he also aided in the first governor’s executive order on equal opportunity and served as the governor’s representative on the NJ Arts Council. He also served on the White House staff for President Lyndon B. Johnson.

He went on to become assistant dean at the Rutgers Institute for management-labor relations and organized the first county work release program. He established the Trenton branch of Mercer County Community College. He was elected to the Mercer County Charter Study Commission.

In his later years he was Professor of Public Administration and Political Science at Rutgers University, a position he held for 25 years.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University, a master’s degree from Columbia University, and did Ph.D. studies at Rutgers University.

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Olive; three daughters, Erica, Samuelle, and Rebecca; and a step-daughter, Jessica Sullivan.

Services were held March 8 with arrangements by Orland’s Ewing Memorial Chapel, Ewing.