"Tom Kean is a leader respected for integrity, fairness and good judgment," Bush said Monday in a prepared statement. "I am confident he will work to make the commission's investigation thorough. It is important that we uncover every detail and learn every lesson of Sept. 11." Bush initially resisted forming the commission

KEAN BIO NAME - Thomas H. Kean AGE-BIRTH DATE - 67; April 21, 1935. EDUCATION - B.A., Princeton University, 1957; M.A., Columbia University Teachers College, 1964. EXPERIENCE - Member, New Jersey Assembly, 1968-77; speaker, 1972-1973; minority leader, 1974; New Jersey governor, 1982-1990; chairman, Republican Governors Association, 1987; led U.S. delegation to the World Conference on Education for All in Thailand, 1990; vice chairman, U.S. delegation to the Fourth U.N. World Conference on Women, 1995; served on advisory board to the President's Initiative on Race, 1997-1998; chairman, National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1996-present; president, Drew University in Madison, N.J., 1990 to present; chairman of Republican Doug Forrester's unsuccessful 2002 campaign for U.S. Senate in New Jersey; director, UnitedHealth Group, 1993-2002; director, Amerada Hess Corporation; director, Aramark Corp. OTHER EXPERIENCE - Former chairman, Carnegie Corporation of New York; former chairman, Education Commission of the States; former director, Bell Atlantic Corp., now Verizon; former director, CIT Group; former chairman, National Environmental Education and Training Foundation; board member of Fiduciary Trust Company International, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pepsi Bottling Group, World Wildlife Fund, America's Promise, National Center for Learning Disabilities, National Endowment for Democracy. FAMILY - Wife, Deborah. Twin sons, Tom and Reed. One daughter, Alexandra.

Kean, 67, is president of Drew University in Madison, N.J., about 30 miles from New York City. He was New Jersey's governor from 1982 to 1990.

He serves on several corporate boards, including those of the international petroleum company Amerada Hess Corp., the Pepsi Bottling Group and Aramark Corp., which manages food and support services at office buildings, sports arenas and other facilities.

Aramark ran the food court on top of 2 World Trade Center as well as concessions and tours of the observation deck. Several of its employees died in the tower. Also, Kean has long served as director of Fiduciary Trust Co., a financial company that lost 87 employees in the World Trade Center.

"He has a very close relationship with the 9-11 families. They know this is a matter that is close and near to his heart," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.

Kristen Breitweiser, whose husband died in the trade center Sept. 11 while working for Fiduciary Trust and who is a leader of September 11th Advocates, said about Kean, "Assuming he has no conflicts, I hope he can do the job that needs to be done."

Breitweiser noted that Fiduciary was a leaseholder of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which would be part of the investigation.

Kean was named by President Clinton to serve on the advisory board to the President's Initiative on Race.

This year, Kean served as chairman of Republican Doug Forrester's unsuccessful campaign for New Jersey's open Senate seat.

Kean served two terms as governor before leaving office in 1990. Many state and national Republican leaders, including Bush, had urged him in 2001 to challenge Democrat Robert Torricelli for the Senate seat. Kean refused before Torricelli resigned because of ethical questions, leaving his seat open for Forrester's run. Former Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg won the election.

Kean's name came up for the Sept. 11 commission along with several others, including Kissinger's, in a conversation about six weeks ago between Bush and White House chief of staff Andy Card, Fleischer said.

Kean is a model Northeastern moderate Republican, liberal on many social issues, who has often been comfortable working with Democrats. He wrote a 1988 book titled "Politics of Inclusion."

Bush announced his choice for the independent commission three days after Kissinger, a former secretary of state, resigned from chairmanship because of conflict-of-interest concerns.

Two days before Kissinger's abrupt withdrawal, former Sen. George Mitchell, D-Maine, stepped down as vice chairman, saying the job would conflict with his responsibilities to his law firm. Democrats replaced Mitchell with former Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind.

The commission had hoped to get to work next month after resolving disputes about its organization and its authority to issue subpoenas.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert named a former Illinois governor and a former White House counsel Sunday to serve on the panel.

Hastert, R-Ill., appointed former Gov. Jim Thompson and attorney Fred Fielding to the 10-member panel. Republicans and Democrats each get to appoint five committee members.

Senate Republican leader Trent Lott of Mississippi earlier named former Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Wash. On Monday he filled the last slot on the 10-member panel with John Lehman, who served as President Reagan's Navy secretary from 1981 to 1987. He is founding partner of the investment firm J.F. Lehman & Co.

Relatives had been hoping that former Sen. Warren Rudman, R-N.H., would be named for the position.

Stephen Push of the advocacy group Families of Sept. 11, said some relatives weren't happy about Lehman's appointment but said he is hopeful, after a meeting with Lehman on Sunday. Push also is encouraged by support given Lehman by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who has worked closely with the families.

Democrats have already named five members, including Hamilton. The others are outgoing Sen. Max Cleland, D-Ga.; outgoing Rep. Timothy Roemer, D-Ind.; attorney Richard Ben-Veniste; and Jamie Gorelick, a deputy attorney general under former President Clinton.

The 10-member commission, formally known as the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks, will investigate events leading up to the attacks, including aviation security, immigration and U.S. diplomacy. It is to build on the work of a recently completed congressional inquiry into intelligence failures.