Raised in Penns Grove, William J. Hughes (1932–2019) graduated from Penns Grove High School before becoming a lawyer, congressman, and diplomat. He represented New Jersey’s Second Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1995, then served as U.S. Ambassador to Panama from 1995 to 1998. The Federal Aviation Administration’s Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township bears his name.