Former governor (1981-1989) of New Jersey. Now president of Drew University. Known for being a Republican but not conservative like many Republicans.



Yes, New Jersey and You--Perfect Together is what Kean will probably be best known for--it still gets a laugh when Kean says Drew and You--Perfect Together at admissions events.

Tom Kean was one of New Jersey's most popular governors, unlike his successor, the hapless Jim Florio; New Jerseyans tended to respect Kean for his diligence, moderate political stance, and overall good sense. He's best remembered, though, for a single phrase. Commercials for New Jersey would begin with the usual rolling hills, autumn mountains, and sunny beaches, followed by some shots of historical reenactments or some such thing. Eventually, Kean's smiling face would appear on the screen, and he'd utter New Jersey's slogan, which, in Kean's curious accent, sounded something like this:

New Juhsey and you--puhfect togetheh!

People from around the country would recognize that voice, even if they didn't know its owner. "Who's Jersey's governor?" people would ask. "Keen? Kean? I don't think I've ever seen him..."
"Yeah, you do," Jerseyans would respond. "You know...'New Juhsey and you...'"
"OH! THAT guy! Hey, what kind of accent is that, anyway?"

I still don't know. It's not a New Jersey/New York accent, nor is it a Boston accent. As far as I know, it's peculiar to Kean alone.

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