Charles Samuel Joelson

Charles Samuel Joelson (January 27, 1916 – August 17, 1999) was an American lawyer and politician. Joelson, a Democrat, succeeded Gordon Canfield as the representative for New Jersey's 8th district for eight years, lasting from 1961 until his resignation on September 4, 1969, when he became a judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey.

Background Joelson was born and raised in a Jewish family in Paterson, New Jersey. After graduating from Montclair Academy, he went on to college and attended Cornell University. Joelson went to attend the university's law school. He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws degree in 1939, and was admitted to the bar in 1940. Joelson then served on Paterson's city counsel from 1949 to 1952. Joelson received 45.1% of the vote, in comparison to Canfield's 54.8%. Afterwards, Joelson then went on to the Passaic County's Prosecutor's Office and then became the director of the state's criminal investigation division and served that post from 1958 to 1960. He was sworn into the United States Congress on January 3, 1961. As Congressman, one of Joelson's achievements was a piece of legislation in 1969 that saved many school libraries. The legislation appropriated over a billion dollars for public school libraries, remedial programs and guidance counseling. Joelson had asked the state's governor at the time, Richard J. Hughes for a seat in the New Jersey Superior Court. He served on the bench for fifteen years, spending time in the Chancery Division and the Appellate Division, before retiring in 1984.

Death A resident of Paramus, Joelson died at the age of 83 in Freehold Township, New Jersey on August 17, 1999.