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. Commentary: "Is Tom Foley the Wrong Man to Send to Tokyo?" BusinessWeek. May 12, 1997; Wudunn, Sheryl.  "New U.S. Diplomat Tries to Speak Japan's Language," New York Times. April 8, 1998. 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.Trilateral Commission:  Foley, bio notes 

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.

References

Category:1929 births
Category:2013 deaths
Category:Ambassadors of the United States to Japan
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Deaths from stroke
Category:Politicians from Spokane, Washington
Category:Speakers of the United States House of Representatives
Category:United States representatives from Washington
Category:Democratic Party (United States) politicians
Category:20th-century American politicians
Category:21st-century American politicians
Category:Majority leaders of the United States House of Representatives