Thomas M. Foglietta
| Thomas Foglietta | |
|---|---|
 |
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| United States Ambassador to Italy | |
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In office December 11, 1997 – March 1, 2001 |
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| President |
Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Reginald Bartholomew |
| Succeeded by | Mel Sembler |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st district |
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In office January 3, 1981 – November 11, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Ozzie Myers |
| Succeeded by | Bob Brady |
| Member of the Philadelphia City Council from the At-Large District | |
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In office January 2, 1956 – January 5, 1976 |
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| Preceded by | Seat Created |
| Succeeded by | Ethel D. Allen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 3, 1928 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Died | November 13, 2004 (aged 75) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Republican (until 1980) |
| Alma mater | Saint Joseph's University |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Thomas Michael "Tom" Foglietta (December 3, 1928 – November 13, 2004) was United States Ambassador to Italy and an American politician from the state of Pennsylvania, most notable for his time in the House of Representatives from 1981 to 1997.
Foglietta was born on December 3, 1928 in a house on 7th and Clymer Streets in South Philadelphia, and graduated from South Catholic High School in the city. Foglietta's father, Michael, was a Republican committeeman, ward leader and clerk of quarter sessions who was ultimately elected to the Philadelphia City Council in 1947. He received his bachelor's degree from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia in 1949, and his Juris Doctor from the Temple University law school in 1952. After graduating from law school, he entered private practice.
In 1955, Foglietta ran for Philadelphia City Council. Foglietta won, becoming the youngest person ever elected to that body. Foglietta served on the Council for 20 years. In 1975, he ran for mayor of Philadelphia, coming in third place to Frank Rizzo. Following his defeat, Foglietta became a regional director for the U.S. Department of Labor.
In the 1980 elections, Foglietta won in Pennsylvania's 1st Congressional District, running as an independent. Foglietta defeated Congressman Michael "Ozzie" Myers who had been convicted in the Abscam bribery scandal. Following his election, Foglietta switched parties and became a Democrat, stating "I belonged to the progressive faction of the Republican Party — a faction that is no longer in existence." In Congress, Foglietta concentrated his energies on foreign affairs and the preservation of the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which was slated for closure by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission. In 1985 a melee broke out at Seoul Airport when Foglietta accompanied South Korean dissident Kim Dae Jung back home. The two formed a lifelong friendship and in 1999, Foglietta received a South Korean human rights award for supporting democracy there, while Kim received Philadelphia's Liberty Medal. Foglietta later served on the House Appropriations Committee where he worked to secure federal funding for the restoration of various Philadelphia historic Sites including Independence Hall and Washington Square. Foglietta was also well known for founding the Congressional Urban Caucus, a legislative service organization dedicated to promoting urban policy issues in the House.
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