Robert Nathan Wilentz ’48

Bob Wilentz, retired chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, died July 23, 1996. Bob was to have retired in Feb. 1997, but disabling cancer persuaded him to step down prior to mandatory retirement at age 70.

He was appointed chief justice by Gov. Brendan Byrne '49 in 1979, who at the time said jokingly he had done so on the basis of tennis ability. Bob had won several amateur tournaments and later said, "I had never, ever thought about being a judge of any kind."

His court was known as being innovative on social issues. The decisions that were prominent included supporting the rights of poor people to live in the suburbs and the underscoring the responsibility of hosts to make sure their guests do not drink to excess and later drive drunk. It was observed that the chief justice was able to achieve unanimous or nearly unanimous decisions through intellect and persuasion as well as plying the associate justices with pickled herring, lox, and coffee cake during lengthy discussions.

Bob was at Princeton for only a year. He joined us from Perth Amboy H.S. and went on to two years in the Navy, graduating from Harvard in 1949. He earned his law degree from Columbia. He served in the New Jersey Assembly from 1965-69.

To his daughter Amy, sons James and Thomas, the class extends its deepest sympathy.

The Class of 1948