Jack Collins | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of theNew Jersey General Assembly | |
| In office January 9, 1996 – January 8, 2002 | |
| Preceded by | Chuck Haytaian |
| Succeeded by | Albio Sires |
| Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the3rd district | |
| In office January 14, 1986 – January 8, 2002 Serving with Gary Stuhltrager | |
| Preceded by | Martin A. Herman Thomas A. Pankok |
| Succeeded by | John J. Burzichelli Douglas H. Fisher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1943-06-25)June 25, 1943 (age 82) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | Betsy |
| Children | 4 |
| Alma mater | Glassboro State College (BA,MA) Rutgers University, Camden (JD) |
John Collins (born June 25, 1943) is an American educator, lawyer, formercollege basketball coach, and aRepublican Party politician fromNew Jersey.[1] He was Speaker of theNew Jersey General Assembly from 1996 until 2002. As of 2025, he is the last Republican to be Assembly Speaker.[2]
Collins was born inAtlantic City and moved toGloucester City at a young age.[3] He attendedGloucester Catholic High School, where he excelled at basketball.[4] He went on to Glassboro State College (nowRowan University), receiving aB.A. degree in science education in 1964 and a master's degree in student personnel services in 1967. With the Glassboro Profs basketball team, Collins scored 1,038 points in his career, earning him a place in the South Jersey Basketball Hall of Fame.[5]
After graduation, he taught science and coached basketball atSterling High School. The following year he was invited to become basketball coach at the newly establishedCamden County College. A year later he became head coach at Glassboro State, and at 26 was one of the youngest head basketball coaches in the country. As coach he racked up 131 victories and three consecutive conference titles. At Glassboro State he also served in the Admissions Office and worked as executive assistant to college president Herman James.[6]
After retiring from his coaching career, Collins studied law atRutgers School of Law–Camden, receiving hisJuris Doctor degree in 1982. After a term on his local school board, the chairman of theSalem County Republican party asked him to run for theNew Jersey General Assembly. Riding the coattails ofGovernor of New JerseyThomas Kean in 1985, Collins and his running mateGary Stuhltrager knocked off Democratic incumbentsMartin A. Herman andThomas A. Pankok, helping give the Republicans control of the General Assembly for the first time in more than a decade.[7] He took office in 1986, representing the3rd Legislative District.[6]
When Republicans lost control of the Assembly in 1989, Collins was chosen by minority leaderChuck Haytaian to be his deputy. He became majority leader two years later when Republicans regained control of the Assembly and Haytaian was elected Speaker. In 1996, after Haytaian decided not to run for reelection following his unsuccessful 1994 campaign against SenatorFrank Lautenberg, Collins succeeded Haytaian as speaker.[8]
For six years he served as Assembly speaker withDonald DiFrancesco serving asNew Jersey Senate President. Collins explored a campaign forGovernor of New Jersey in the 2001 Republican primary against DiFrancesco (then Acting Governor) but ultimately decided against running. DiFrancesco would be forced to withdraw from the primary after questions about his business dealings.[9]
Collins retired from the General Assembly in January 2002 after serving 16 years. He joined the Princeton Public Affairs Group, a prominent lobbying firm, as senior counsel.[10]
Collins and his wife Betsy have resided on a 3-acre (12,000 m2) farm inPittsgrove Township since 1974.[8] He has four children and ten grandchildren.
| New Jersey General Assembly | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew Jersey General Assembly from the3rd district 1986–2002 Served alongside:Gary Stuhltrager | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of theNew Jersey General Assembly 1996–2002 | Succeeded by |
