Tom Foley

**Thomas Stephen "Tom" Foley** (March 6, 1929 – October 18, 2013) was an American lawyer and politician from the state of Washington. He served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives under George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

## Early life

Foley was born in Spokane, Washington. In 1946, he graduated from the Jesuit-run Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane.
 He went on to attend Gonzaga University in Spokane and the University of Washington in Seattle, the latter awarding him a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1951. In 1957, he earned a law degree from the same university.

## Career

He was the 57th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, serving from 1989 to 1995. He represented Washington's 5th congressional district for 30 years as a Democratic member from 1965 to 1995.

Foley was the first Speaker of the House since 1862 to be defeated in a re-election campaign for Congress. He served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 1997 to 2001 under Bill Clinton.

He is sometimes viewed as a political casualty of the term limits controversy of the early 1990s. President Bill Clinton attributed his defeat to his support for the Assault Weapons Ban of 1994.

## Personal life

Foley was married to Heather Strachan until his death in 2013.

In 1997, Foley was appointed as the 25th U.S. Ambassador to Japan by President Bill Clinton. He served as ambassador until 2001.

Foley was a Washington delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention.

On July 9, 2003, Washington Governor Gary Locke awarded the Washington Medal of Merit, the state's highest honor, to Foley.

He was North American Chairman of the Trilateral Commission.

### Death

Foley died at his home in Washington, D.C. on October 18, 2013, following months of hospice care from complications from a stroke, aged 84. Speaker John Boehner, and Nancy Pelosi, who also served as Speaker, issued statements honoring Foley.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Tom Foley
- **image**: Tom foley.jpg
- **office**: Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- **president**: George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
- **term start**: June 6, 1989
- **term end**: January 3, 1995
- **predecessor**: Jim Wright
- **successor**: Newt Gingrich
- **office1**: 25th United States Ambassador to Japan
- **president1**: Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
- **term start1**: November 19, 1997
- **term end1**: April 1, 2001
- **predecessor1**: Walter Mondale
- **successor1**: Howard Baker
- **office2**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives
- **deputy2**: Tony Coelho
- **term start2**: January 3, 1987
- **term end2**: June 6, 1989
- **predecessor2**: Jim Wright
- **successor2**: Dick Gephardt
- **office3**: Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives, Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives
- **leader3**: Jim Wright
- **term start3**: January 3, 1981
- **term end3**: January 3, 1987
- **predecessor3**: John Brademas
- **successor3**: Tony Coelho
- **state4**: Washington
- **district4**: Washington's 5th congressional district, 5th
- **term start4**: January 3, 1965
- **term end4**: January 3, 1995
- **predecessor4**: Walt Horan
- **successor4**: George Nethercutt
- **birthname**: Thomas Stephen Foley
- **birth place**: Spokane, Washington, Spokane, Washington, United States, U.S.
- **death place**: Washington, D.C., U.S.
- **party**: Democratic Party (United States), Democratic
- **spouse**: Heather Strachan
- **alma mater**: Gonzaga University
University of Washington, University of Washington, Seattle