Wyche Fowler

Wyche Fowler
Name	Wyche Fowler
Caption	Fowler in 1991
State	Georgia
Term start	January 6, 1987
Term end	January 3, 1993
Predecessor	Mack Mattingly
Successor	Paul Coverdell
State1	Georgia
District1	GA, 5, 5th
Term start1	April 6, 1977
Term end1	January 3, 1987
Predecessor1	Andrew Young
Successor1	John Lewis
Office2	United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Term start2	1996
Term end2	2001
President2	Bill Clinton
Predecessor2	Ray Mabus
Successor2	Robert W. Jordan
Birth date	6 October 1940
Birth place	Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	June Flack, 1968, 2016, Sandra Dunahoo, 2017
Education	Davidson College (BA), Emory University (JD)
Allegiance	United States
Branch	United States Army
Serviceyears	1963–1965
Rank	First Lieutenant

Wyche Fowler is an American politician, diplomat, and attorney who served as a United States Senator from Georgia from 1987 to 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented Georgia's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987. Following his Senate career, Fowler served as the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia under President Bill Clinton.

Early life and education

Wyche Fowler was born on October 6, 1940, in Atlanta, Georgia. He was raised in a politically engaged family, with his father, Wyche Fowler Sr., serving as a Fulton County commissioner. Fowler attended Davidson College in North Carolina, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1962. He subsequently served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army from 1963 to 1965. Following his military service, Fowler enrolled at the Emory University School of Law, receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1969.

Early political career

Fowler began his political career working as an aide to Atlanta Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. in the mid-1960s. He was elected to the Atlanta City Council in 1970, where he served until 1974, focusing on urban development and civil rights issues. In 1974, Fowler was elected as the President of the Atlanta City Council, a position he held until his election to the United States Congress. His tenure on the council was marked by efforts to modernize the city's government and foster cooperation between the business community and neighborhoods.

U.S. House of Representatives (1977–1987)

Fowler was elected to the United States House of Representatives in a 1977 special election to succeed Andrew Young, who had been appointed as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Representing Georgia's 5th congressional district, which included most of Atlanta, Fowler was a prominent member of the House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on the Budget. He was a strong advocate for federal funding for public transportation, supporting projects like the MARTA system, and was a reliable vote for the Democratic leadership on social welfare and environmental issues. Fowler was re-elected four times, serving until January 1987.

U.S. Senate (1987–1993)

In the 1986 election, Fowler defeated incumbent Republican Senator Mack Mattingly, becoming the first Democrat to represent Georgia in the United States Senate since Herman Talmadge. During his single term, Fowler served on the Senate Agriculture Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He was known for his work on agricultural policy, tax reform, and intelligence oversight. Fowler was a key figure in the 1990 passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. He lost his 1992 re-election bid in a close runoff election to Republican Paul Coverdell.

Later career and diplomacy

After leaving the Senate, Fowler practiced law in Washington, D.C., and remained active in international affairs. In 1996, President Bill Clinton nominated him to be the United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia. Confirmed by the United States Senate, Fowler served in Riyadh until 2001, navigating complex bilateral relations during a period that included the Khobar Towers bombing and the later stages of the Iraq no-fly zone conflict. Following his diplomatic service, he joined the global law firm Hogan Lovells as a senior advisor and later served as chairman of the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C.

Personal life

Fowler married June Flack in 1968; she died in 2016. The couple had two children. In 2017, he married Sandra Dunahoo. He is an active member of the Episcopal Church and has served on the boards of several educational and cultural institutions, including Davidson College and the Carter Center. Fowler maintains residences in Washington, D.C., and Atlanta.

Category:1940 births Category:Living people Category:American diplomats Category:United States ambassadors to Saudi Arabia Category:United States senators from Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)