Representative Charles Robert Howell

Charles Robert Howell (April 23, 1904 – July 5, 1973) was an American Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey’s 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives for three terms from 1949 to 1955. He was born in Trenton, New Jersey, on April 23, 1904, and spent virtually his entire life in that city, maintaining close ties to the community he would later represent in state and national office.

Howell attended the Trenton public schools and went on to Hoosac School in Hoosick, New York, from which he graduated. He pursued higher education as a student at Princeton University in 1923 and 1924, and later continued his studies by taking special courses at the University of Pennsylvania in 1936 and 1937. Although he did not complete a traditional college degree, his intermittent academic work at these institutions reflected a sustained interest in broadening his knowledge during his early adulthood and professional life.

Beginning in 1928, Howell worked as an insurance broker in Trenton, a career he maintained for more than a quarter-century, until 1954. His business experience in the insurance field helped establish him as a figure in local civic and economic affairs and provided a foundation for his later work in public policy related to financial regulation and consumer protection. His engagement in local issues and professional standing in Trenton contributed to his emergence as a viable candidate for elective office.

Howell entered public life at the state level during World War II. He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1944, was reelected in 1945, and served until 1947. As a member of the General Assembly, he participated in the legislative process in Trenton, gaining experience in lawmaking and constituent service that would inform his subsequent congressional career. His tenure in the state legislature helped build his reputation within the Democratic Party and among voters in central New Jersey.

In 1948, Howell was elected as a Democrat to the Eighty-first Congress from New Jersey’s 4th congressional district and was subsequently reelected to the Eighty-second and Eighty-third Congresses. He served in the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 1949, to January 3, 1955. During these three terms in office, his service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, encompassing the early Cold War, the Korean War, and the beginning of the postwar economic expansion. As a member of the House of Representatives, Charles Robert Howell contributed to the legislative process, participated in the democratic governance of the nation, and represented the interests of his New Jersey constituents within the broader national debates of the era. A member of the Democratic Party, he worked within his caucus on issues of domestic policy and postwar recovery, and his congressional career solidified his standing as a prominent Democrat in New Jersey.

Howell chose not to be a candidate for renomination to the House in 1954. Instead, he sought higher office as the Democratic nominee for the United States Senate from New Jersey. In the 1954 general election, he ran a competitive statewide campaign but was narrowly defeated by Republican Clifford P. Case. Although unsuccessful, the Senate race underscored his prominence within the party and his appeal beyond his home district. Following this campaign, he transitioned from elective to appointive office, continuing his public service in a different capacity.

In February 1955, Howell was appointed New Jersey State Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, a position that drew directly on his long professional background in the insurance industry. He served in that role until March 1, 1969, overseeing the regulation of banks and insurance companies in the state during a period of significant growth and change in the financial sector. His fourteen-year tenure reflected both administrative continuity and the confidence of successive state administrations in his expertise. In addition to his state responsibilities, he remained active in national party affairs and served as a delegate-at-large to the 1956 Democratic National Convention, participating in the selection of the party’s presidential ticket and platform.

Charles Robert Howell died in Trenton, New Jersey, on July 5, 1973. In keeping with his lifelong connection to his home state, his remains were cremated and his ashes were scattered at sea off Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey. His career encompassed service at the local, state, and national levels, including three terms in Congress, a notable Senate campaign, and a long tenure as New Jersey’s Commissioner of Banking and Insurance, marking him as a significant Democratic figure in mid-twentieth-century New Jersey politics.