Thomas N. Downing
| Thomas Nelms Downing | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia's 1st district |
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In office January 3, 1959 – January 3, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Edward J. Robeson, Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Paul S. Trible, Jr. |
| Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations | |
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In office September 17, 1976 – January 3, 1977 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Henry B. Gonzalez |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 1, 1919 Newport News, Virginia |
| Died | October 23, 2001 (aged 82) Newport News, Virginia |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Alma mater |
Virginia Military Institute University of Virginia |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1942 – 1946 |
Thomas Nelms Downing (February 1, 1919 – October 23, 2001) was a lawyer, politician, and Democratic Congressman from Virginia's 1st congressional district for nine terms.
Downing was born and raised in Newport News, Virginia. He attended Newport News High School, and graduated from Virginia Military Institute in 1940. After serving in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, he attended and graduated from the University of Virginia Law School in 1948. He practiced as a lawyer, as well as a substitute judge of the municipal court of Warwick, Virginia.
In 1958 he was elected as a Democrat to Congress and was re-elected eight times, before declining to run in 1976. Downing served 18 years in Congress prior to retiring in 1977.
Downing was appointed Chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations by Carl Albert, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. The Committee was tasked to look into evidence that was not available to the Warren Commission during its investigation of the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Upon his retirement from Congress in 1977, Louis Stokes succeeded Downing as Chairman.
Downing stated before and after the HSCA's investigation that he believed there was a conspiracy to assassinate Kennedy. He pushed for a House committee to investigate the assassination nearly two years before its formation. In August 1976, he released affidavits from two men who stated that Richard Nixon approved the plan of a right-wing Cuban exile to "eliminate" left-wing Cuban exiles after the Bay of Pigs invasion. Downing said that their statements raised the possibility that right-wing Cubans killed Kennedy.
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