Former Congressman William Hughes has died, his family announced Thursday.
He had recently turned 87.
"Bill Hughes was the epitome of what a public servant ought to be," said Stockton University President Harvey Kesselman. "He exuded a sense of civility with respect to everything he did in life, and he was unwaveringly committed to exhibiting that noble conduct to those with whom he came in contact. We are extremely grateful for his having chosen Stockton to house his memorabilia, and we are a far, far better place as a result of his center being an integral part of what we hold dear as a University. He will be sorely missed."
Hughes left his mark on the area, with both the Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center named after him in 1996.
Stockton University’s William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy is also named in his honor.
"His story is forever tied to the recent history of this region," said John Froonjian, interim executive director of the Hughes Center. "The Hughes Center for Public Policy mourns the passing of our namesake, our mentor and our friend. We rededicate our efforts to promote civic engagement and civility in our public conversations to the memory of Ambassador Hughes."
Hughes served 10 two-year terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, beginning in 1974.
"As our 2nd District representative, Congressman Hughes was a leader on the environment, ocean quality, pinelands preservation, and keeping what is now the William J. Hughes Technical Center from moving to Oklahoma. He was a national leader on legislation concerning guns, crime, aging issues and trademark and copyright law," Froonjian said.
The year after his final term ended, he was sworn in as the U.S. ambassador to Panama.
He served as both a professor at Rutgers University and as a visiting distinguished scholar of public policy at the then-Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.
Hughes' most powerful legacy is one of civility and bipartisanship, said those who knew him.
"His decency and advocacy of South Jersey endeared him to countless people in this region," Froonjian said.
"If there were more people in Washington, D.C., that thought like Congressmen Hughes and carried themselves like he did, the would get a lot more done," said attorney Jonathan Diego, who has known Hughes since 1984.
Diego was a senior at Pleasantville High School when congressman wrote him a recommendation to the Naval Academy.
While Diego took another route, he did work as a congressional intern for Hughes, who also supported his application to Hughes' alma mater, Rutgers Law School in Camden.
Diego graduated with Hughes' son in 1993.
