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Dr. Frederick M. Herrmann's Biography
Frederick M. Hermann, PhD, has had a long and successful career in the field of government ethics and election law. Fred started his post HMHS education at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned a Bachelor Degree (B.A.) in History. Fred's endeavors continued with a Masters Degree and a PhD in History from Rutgers University; incidentally, Fred's PhD dissertation was, “Stress & Structure: Political Change In Antebellum, New Jersey”. Fred's working career started at Rutgers University as an Assistant History Teacher; then, Fred moved on to become Kean University's Professor of U.S. & Russian History. In 1977 Fred enthusiastically started another position as a Research Associate in the office of Legislative Services at the New Jersey State Legislature where he was responsible for drafting election law and redistricting legislation. In 1982 Fred moved on to a more challenging position as an Assistant Research Director for the Assembly Minority Office of the New Jersey Legislature; consequently, Fred had numerous responsibilities with supervising research associates, staffing various standing committees, coordinating district offices, analyzing legislation in the areas of higher education, regulated professions, pensions, civil service, elections and redistricting. Fred's present position ,Executive Director of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, gives him the opportunity to demonstrate his ability as a leader in a very complex field. He is responsible for supervising a staff of 90 people, a legal section and a computer system section with a budget of $6 million. He distributes about $7.5 million in public funding to gubernatorial and legislative candidates, he represents the Commission before the State Legislature and other groups, handles media relations, administers “The New Jersey Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Reporting Act” and other related statutes. Among a large number of activities, Fred is on the Board of Trustees of Friends of the State House and is on the Editorial Board of Public Integrity. He is presently the Book Review Editor of the Guardian. He has been president of the Northeastern Regional Conference on Lobbying and has been on the Library Committee of the New Jersey Historical Society. Perhaps Fred’s greatest award, beside the HAS Lifetime Achievement Award, was the prestigious Council on Government Ethics Laws Award, which he received in 1993. He shares this honor with notables such as Senator John McCain and President Jimmy Carter. In a congratulatory letter, former Governor Jim Florio said, “You are experienced, steady and fair. You can’t ask for more in an election official, and we are fortunate in New Jersey to have the best around”. In another letter former Governor Thomas H. Kean wrote, “New Jersey has been blessed to have such an honorable person working for the best interests of our citizens and our democracy”. Fred has also produced and contributed to many publications such as “Sweeping Election Reform, New Jersey Style” in the Guardian, “The New Jersey Odyssey of Dorothy Dix” in New Jersey Heritage Magazine and “Bricks Without Straw, The Plight of Governmental Ethics Agencies in the United States” in Public Integrity Annual”. He has also written some historical articles including two articles for The Governors of New Jersey 1664-1974 and “The Constitution of 1844 and Political Change in Antebellum New Jersey” for New Jersey History. Fred lives with his wife Susan Kline Hermann, HMHS Class of ’65 in Lawrenceville, NJ. They have a grown son, Karl, who is with the admissions department at Kean University. Fred’s main nonprofessional activities are classical music, reading and sports. Susan is a microbiologist and worked for many years in the field of infectious disease control.
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