View source for Salvatore A. Bontempo

{{short description|American politician}}
'''Salvatore A. Bontempo''' (August 14, 1909 – June 20, 1989)  was an American [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] [[politician]] who served as chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]].
==Early life and education==
Bontempo was born in [[Newark, New Jersey]] in 1909. After graduating from the [[University of Notre Dame]] and the John Marshall Law School (now [[Seton Hall University School of Law]]), he became active in Newark city government, serving as director of purchasing from 1933 to 1942.
===Military service===
He joined the [[United States Army Air Forces]] during [[World War II]], and eventually reached the rank of colonel in the Air Force Reserves.
==Career==
He was elected to the Newark City Commission in 1953.<ref name=Obit>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DEED61F30F931A15755C0A96F948260  "Salvatore Bontempo, 79, a Leader In New Jersey Democratic Politics"]. ''[[The New York Times]]'', June 22, 1989. Accessed June 9, 2008.</ref> From 1958 to 1961 he served as New Jersey's Commissioner of Conservation and Economic Development. In that position he led a drive for development of the [[New Jersey Meadowlands]] and also worked to preserve open space by acquiring land through the state's Green Acres program. In 1961 he briefly served in the [[United States Department of State|State Department]] as administrator of the Bureau of Security and Consular Affairs, after which time he left to work in the private sector.<ref  name=Obit/>
In 1969 Bontempo was selected  chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]. In the 1972 Democratic presidential primaries, he supported [[Hubert H. Humphrey]], who lost New Jersey by a huge margin to [[George McGovern]]. He left the party chairmanship in 1973. From 1975 to 1977 he served as chairman of the New Jersey Highway Authority, overseeing the [[Garden State Parkway]] and the Garden State Arts Center (now [[PNC Bank Arts Center]]).<ref  name=Obit/>
Bontempo died of cancer in 1989 at the age of 79 at his home in [[Florham Park, New Jersey]].<ref  name=Obit/>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/bondurant-boog.html Biographical information for Salvatore A. Bontempo] from [[The Political Graveyard]]
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{{succession box|title=Chairman of the [[New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]|before=[[Robert J. Burkhardt]]|after=[[James P. Dugan]]|years=1969 &ndash; 1973}}
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[[Category:1909 births]]
[[Category:1989 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Florham Park, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Politicians from Newark, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New Jersey]]
[[Category:University of Notre Dame alumni]]
[[Category:Seton Hall University School of Law alumni]]
[[Category:Chairmen of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:United States Air Force reservists]]
[[Category:United States Air Force colonels]]