Early Life and Education
Byrne was born and raised in West Orange, New Jersey. He is the fourth of Francis A. Byrne (1888–1973) and Genevieve (Brennan) Byrne's five children.
In 1942, Byrne graduated from West Orange High School, where he had served as both the president of the debating club and senior class president. He briefly enrolled at Seton Hall University, only to leave in March the following year to join the U.S. Army. During World War II, Byrne served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross and four Air Medals. By the time of his discharge from active service in 1945, he had achieved the rank of lieutenant.
After the war, Byrne attended Princeton University, where he majored in Public and International Affairs. He received his A.B. in 1949 from Princeton, and went on to obtain his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1951.
On June 27, 1953, he married Jean Featherly.
Prior to entering public service, Brendan Byrne worked as an attorney, first for the Newark firm of John W. McGeehan Jr, and later for the East Orange firm of Teltser and Greenberg.
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