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| House Speaker Tom Foley | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tom Foley |
| Caption | Tom Foley in 1993 |
| Birth date | May 24, 1929 |
| Birth place | Spokane, Washington |
| Death date | October 18, 2013 |
| Death place | Washington, D.C. |
| Occupation | Attorney, politician, diplomat |
| Spouse | Heather Strachan |
| Party | Democratic Party |
| Office | 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives |
| Term start | June 6, 1989 |
| Term end | January 3, 1995 |
| Preceded | Jim Wright |
| Succeeded | Newt Gingrich |
House Speaker Tom Foley Thomas Stephen Foley (May 24, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American attorney and Democratic politician who represented Washington's 5th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1965 to 1995 and served as the 58th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1989 to 1995. A long-serving member of the House Democratic Caucus, Foley chaired the House Agriculture Committee and the House Democratic Caucus before becoming Speaker; after his House career he served as United States Ambassador to Japan under President Bill Clinton.
Foley was born in Spokane, Washington to Irish-American parents and grew up in Ritzville, Washington, attending Ritzville High School. He served in the United States Navy and later attended Washington State University, where he earned a bachelor's degree, then studied law at the Georgetown University Law Center, obtaining a Juris Doctor. During his youth he was influenced by regional figures such as Dixy Lee Ray and national leaders including Harry S. Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson.
After law school Foley worked as an attorney in Spokane County and served as assistant city attorney for Spokane, aligning with the Democratic Party machine in Washington (state). He participated in local civic organizations including the Kiwanis International and worked with institutions like the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and the Washington State Bar Association. Foley's early political mentors included members of the state legislature and federal delegation such as Warren Magnuson and Henry M. Jackson.
Elected in 1964, Foley succeeded incumbent Edwin E. “Ted” M. and joined a Democratic class elected alongside figures such as Tip O'Neill and John McCormack’s contemporaries. In the 89th United States Congress he developed seniority, serving on committees like House Committee on Agriculture, where he later became chairman, and worked closely with committee chairs such as George H. Mahon and Harold D. Cooley’s successors. Foley built relationships with colloquial allies including Jim Wright, Dan Rostenkowski, Tom Daschle, Steny Hoyer, and Dick Gephardt. He advocated for constituents in Spokane County and on issues involving the Bureau of Reclamation projects, the Columbia River basin, the Federal Highway Administration’s regional programs, and veterans’ matters tied to the Veterans Administration.
Following the resignation of Jim Wright amid an ethics investigation, Foley was elected Speaker on June 6, 1989 with support from leaders such as Les Aspin and Henry Gonzalez, prevailing over more conservative Democrats and negotiating with party figures including Richard Gephardt and James C. Wright Jr. His tenure encompassed national events including the end of the Cold War, the presidencies of George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the Gulf War (1990–1991), and domestic debates over NAFTA and the North American Free Trade Agreement’s passage. Foley presided over House responses to the Savings and Loan crisis, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 deliberations, and appropriations battles involving the Office of Management and Budget and the Congressional Budget Office.
As Speaker and committee chairman Foley emphasized retail constituent programs and agricultural policy, shepherding measures affecting the Food and Agriculture Act cycles and federal farm programs tied to the United States Department of Agriculture. He worked on bipartisan coalitions with lawmakers like Senator Patrick Leahy, Senator Bob Dole, Representative Romano Mazzoli, and Representative Henry Hyde on issues ranging from trade to appropriations. Foley was known for institutional stewardship, aligning with procedural peers such as Howard Baker, Robert Byrd, Tip O'Neill allies, and caucus managers including Tony Coelho and Steny Hoyer. His leadership style combined deference to committee prerogatives with personal courtesy toward members such as Nancy Pelosi, Newt Gingrich as Minority Leader, John Dingell, Sam Rayburn's institutional legacy, and regional Democrats including Pat Williams and Dale Kildee.
In the 1994 Republican Revolution led by Newt Gingrich and the Republican Party, Foley lost his reelection bid to George Nethercutt, becoming the first sitting Speaker since Sam Rayburn to lose a reelection campaign. After leaving the House Foley joined private law and lobbying circles in Washington, D.C. and served as United States Ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton, succeeding Walter Mondale’s diplomatic predecessors and engaging with Japanese officials such as Prime Ministers Ryutaro Hashimoto and Keizo Obuchi. He later worked with think tanks including the Brookings Institution and participated in advisory roles with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forums and nongovernmental organizations such as the Japan-America Society.
Foley married Heather Strachan; their family included three children and ties to regional institutions like Gonzaga University and the Spokane Symphony. He received honors from entities including the Order of the Rising Sun from Japan and recognition from state bodies like the Washington State Legislature. Foley's legacy is remembered in discussions alongside congressional figures such as Tip O'Neill, Jim Wright, Newt Gingrich, John Boehner, Nancy Pelosi, and diplomats like Richard Holbrooke for his role in preserving House traditions, agrarian policy, and US–Japan relations. He died in Washington, D.C. on October 18, 2013 and is interred in Spokane, Washington.
Category:Speakers of the United States House of Representatives Category:Members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington Category:United States Ambassadors to Japan Category:1929 births Category:2013 deaths