GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP - The Stockton University Foundation has published a biography of former New Jersey State Sen. William Gormley, whose work had major influence on the Atlantic City region and public policy statewide.
The biography, “A Son of the City,” has been published online as a free, downloadable e-book available on the foundation’s website. It was written by John Froonjian, a longtime journalist and former NJ Statehouse reporter for The Press of Atlantic City, which serialized the book last summer. After leaving journalism in 2011, Froonjian served as an analyst and director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton until his retirement in 2024.
William GormleyThe book chronicles Gormley’s contributions to the regional economy, state laws and policy. Gormley, a Margate resident, served in the NJ State Assembly from 1978 to 1982, when he was elected to the State Senate. Gormley, who served in the Senate until 2007, chaired the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee for more than a decade and sponsored landmark legislation that included:
• Creation of the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority that has directed more than $2 billion into public projects in New Jersey.
• Construction of the Atlantic City Convention Center and Rail Terminal and a refurbished Boardwalk Hall.
• Merging 21 separate county courts into one unified New Jersey Judiciary.
• Addressing inequities in state law governing ownership of land along the coast.
• Construction of the Atlantic City–Brigantine Connector, leading to the building of the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa.
Gormley also followed his conscience in taking controversial stands to help enact New Jersey’s ban on semiautomatic assault rifles and to investigate racial profiling of minority motorists on the NJ Turnpike, Froonjian said.
While Gormley’s accomplishments are impressive, they don’t tell the whole story of why he was an effective leader, Froonjian said.
“Gormley often shunned the spotlight,” he said. “He often exerted leadership behind the scenes, influencing agency actions, making deals and sometimes pressuring others to bend to his policy goals. One of the reasons I wrote the book was the fear that those contributions would be lost to history if they weren’t documented.”
“A Son of the City” also explores how Gormley’s childhood in a political family shaped how he conducted himself as a politician. Gormley’s father, Gerard, was Atlantic County sheriff in the Republican Hap Farley machine. Gormley grew up in a residence attached to the county jail. He learned politics and leadership lessons at an early age and was guided by them throughout his career, Froonjian said.
In researching the eight-chapter biography, Froonjian interviewed 30 New Jersey leaders in government, business, law and journalism, including former Governors Thomas Kean and Donald DiFrancesco, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Deborah Poritz, former legislators Raymond Lesniak, Daniel Dalton and Leroy Jones, and historian Nelson Johnson.
And Gormley is quoted throughout the book, allowing his sometimes brash and irreverent personality to shine through, Froonjian said.
The work was published in partnership between the Stockton University Foundation and The Press of Atlantic City. The author wanted the book to be published as a free e-book to make it accessible to as many people as possible, especially students.
Click here to download a copy of the e-book.
The Stockton University Foundation is dedicated to supporting Stockton University by providing scholarships, funding academic programs and enhancing the student experience. Through the generosity of donors, the Foundation helps remove barriers to student success.
For more information about the foundation and how to support students, visit stockton.edu/foundation.
