The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey is named in honor of one of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Richard Stockton was the eldest son of John and Abigail (Phillips) Stockton, and a member of the Class of 1748 of Princeton University, which was then known as the College of New Jersey. Following his admission to the bar and many years of service as a lawyer, he was appointed as a judge on the Supreme Court and a member of the King's Council for New Jersey, prior to the revolution.

Stockton enjoyed a very successful law practice in the Princeton, NJ area for 12 years, and visited England between 1766 and 1767. His writings during that period reflected his concerns over the strained relations between the colonies and Great Britain. When separation became inevitable, he became an outspoken advocate of the colonies, at considerable risk and sacrifice. He resigned from the royal council, comprised mostly of Loyalists and neutral parties, despite many personal friendships among its members.

Until the actual conflict broke out, he proposed self-government for the Colonies and he sent a document to Lord Dartmouth, "an expedient for the settlement of the American disputes" in which conservative opposition measures were advocated.

The Provincial Congress of New Jersey selected Stockton as one of its delegates to the Congress, which eventually drafted the Declaration of Independence. One of five delegates from New Jersey, Stockton was a very active member of Congress. He served on numerous committees with such well-known founding fathers as Benjamin Rush, Thomas Jefferson, Francis "Lightfoot" Lee and Robert Treat Paine.

In September of 1776 Congress appointed Stockton and George Clymer as a two-man committee to travel to Ticonderoga, New York and report on military activities in the region. While on the mission, Stockton and Clymer visited the headquarters of the American Army and traveled to Albany where they were met by General Schuyler. Schuyler joined them on their journey to Saratoga. There they inspected the army hospital, met with commissioners from Massachusetts Bay and sent letters back to John Hancock to report on their activities.

When Richard Stockton returned from his mission, Lord Cornwallis was in the midst of his march across New Jersey and Stockton's family and home were in grave danger, as Princeton was directly in the path of the British army's advance. He and his family temporarily moved to the home of John Covenhoven in Monmouth, where he and Covenhoven were taken prisoner by Loyalists on November 30, 1776.

Stockton was taken to New York, imprisoned and treated inhumanely by his captors. General George Washington protested to the British about the matter upon learning of it.  At about that time, Stockton was released. His health had greatly deteriorated, however, and he never regained it.

	Stockton Family Crest

Stockton's family estate, "Morven", was burned during the Revolution and most of the valuable contents were looted by British soldiers. His family fortune was further reduced by depreciation of the Continental currency.

Stockton was married to Annis Boudinot, sister of the Honorable Elias Boudinot, one of Richard’s best friends, who married Stockton's sister, Hannah.

When the state governments of the new nation were organized, Stockton and William Livingston each received the same number of votes for Governor of New Jersey on the first ballot, but Livingston eventually won the election in the summer of 1776. Stockton was then unanimously elected for Chief Justice, but he turned down the position. He died at Morven on February 28, 1781.

His wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton, lived until February 1801. She was a talented writer who authored many odes and poems, as well as a drama, "The Triumph of Mildness." She also contributed to numerous periodicals and corresponded frequently with George Washington. She passed away at White Hill, Burlington County, at the home of her son-in-law, Robert Field.