On Sunday, April 1, 2001, United States Ambassador to Japan Thomas S. Foley completed his tenure and departed for the United States. Upon his return to Washington, D.C., Ambassador Foley will resume his law practice with the firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld and pursue a variety of interests in education and U.S.-Asia relations.
Thomas S. Foley was sworn in as the 25th (12th post WWII) U.S. Ambassador to Japan on November 6, 1997. He was accredited upon acceptance of his credentials by Emperor Akihito on November 19th.
Prior to taking up his diplomatic post, Ambassador Foley served as the 49th Speaker of the House of Representatives. He was elected to represent the State of Washington's Fifth Congressional District 15 times, and served his constituents for 30 years from January 1965 to December 1994.
Ambassador Foley served as Majority Leader from 1987 until his election as Speaker on June 6, 1989. From 1981 to 1987, he served as Majority Whip, the number three position in the House Leadership. He is also a former Chairman of both the House Democratic Caucus and the Democratic Study Group.
During his years in Congress, Ambassador Foley was a member of the committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, the Committee on Agriculture where he served as Chairman, and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
As Majority Leader, Ambassador Foley served on the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Committee on the Budget, the Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran, and as Chairman of the House Geneva Arms Talks Observer Team.
Following his political career, Ambassador Foley became a partner in the law firm of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, L.L.P., where he specialized in international affairs.
Ambassador Foley formerly served on a number of private and public Boards of Directors, including among others, the Japan-America Society of Washington, the H.J. Heinz Company, Patriot American Hospitality Corporation and Dresdner RCM Global Investors. He also served on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Board of Governors of the East West Center and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, he also served as Chairman of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board.
Ambassador Foley is an honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire. He has been awarded the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and also is a member of the French Legion of Honor. In 1996, the Government of Japan conferred upon him the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Paulownia Flowers, in recognition of his service to the U.S. House of Representatives, the important impact he had in facilitating harmonious U.S.-Japan relations and promoting understanding of Japan in the United States.
Born March 6, 1929, Ambassador Foley is a native of Spokane, Washington, and a graduate of the University of Washington and its School of Law. He is married to the former Heather Strachan.