Background
Sandman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Sandman was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Rutgers University; Temple University.
Sandman served in the United States Army Air Corps as a navigator during World World War II, and spent seven months as a prisoner of war in Germany after being shot down. Before serving in Congress, Sandman was elected to three 4-year terms in the New Jersey Senate, in 1955, 1959, and 1963. He held the post of Majority Leader of that body in 1964 and 1965.
In 1966, he ran for Congress while still holding his State Senate seat, which he resigned upon winning the federal office.
He was a delegate to the Republican National Conventions in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968. In 1973, the conservative Sandman ran for Governor, defeating moderate incumbent Republican William T. Cahill in the Republican primary election in a stunning victory.
In the general election, Sandman lost to Democrat Brendan Byrne in a landslide, following the pattern where New Jersey would often elect moderate Republicans to statewide office but consistently reject more conservative Republicans. In 1974, Sandman was serving on the House Judiciary Committee when it considered articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon. you have your 27 votes", referring to the 27 affirmative votes for the first article of impeachment against Nixon.
In the 1974 Congressional elections, Republicans suffered generally because of the Watergate scandal that had by the time of the election forced Nixon to resign.
Although Sandman announced that he would vote for impeachment on the House floor after the release of the "smoking gun" transcript (as did all of the Republicans who had voted against the articles in committee), his reputation was severely tarnished by his performance in the televised hearings. Following his defeat in his reelection bid for Congress, Sandman was approached by Vice President Nelson Rockefeller to join the Ford Administration in various capacities including an Ambassadorship of his choosing, Sandman declined and instead opted to accept Governor Thomas Kean invitation to be appointed to the bench of the Superior Court Of New Jersey. Sandman married Marion L. Cooney of Philadelphia and produced six children.
Carol, William, Marion, Robert, Charles and Richard.
Sandman"s sons, Robert South. Sandman, Charles West. Sandman III and Richard East. Sandman have followed their father"s legal footsteps, having a law practice in Cape May Courthouse, New Jersey. Sandman died on August 26, 1985, in Cape May Court House, New Jersey.
Unlike most Republicans on the committee, Sandman defended Nixon almost throughout the proceedings.