John Robert Foley (October 16, 1917 – November 11, 2001) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for Maryland's 6th congressional district from 1959 to 1961.

Early life and education

Foley was born in Wabasha, Minnesota, the grandson of Irish immigrants, and graduated from St. Felix High School in 1935. After he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the St. Thomas College in 1940, he joined the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

following the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, serving from 1941 to 1946. He received his LL.B. degree from Georgetown University Law Center in 1947, and received his

L.L.M. A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mos ...

degree from Columbus School of Lawin 1950.

Career

After school, Foley became a lawyer in private practice. He was also a professor, and was elected judge of the Orphan's (Probate) Court of

Montgomery County, Maryland Montgomery County is the most populous county in the state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the county's population was 1,062,061, increasing by 9.3% from 2010. The county seat and largest municipality is Rockville, although the census-design ...

, serving from 1954 to 1958. He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for election to Congress in 1956, but was elected as a Democrat to Congress two years later, serving one term from January 3, 1959, to January 3, 1961. Foley voted in favor of the

Civil Rights Act of 1960 The Civil Rights Act of 1960 () is a United States federal law that established federal inspection of local voter registration polls and introduced penalties for anyone who obstructed someone's attempt to register to vote. It dealt primarily wi ...

. He tried two further times for election in 1960 and 1962, but was unsuccessful both times.

Personal life

He died from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

in Kensington, Maryland in November 2001.

References

External links

1917 births 2001 deaths People from Wabasha, Minnesota United States Army personnel of World War II American people of Irish descent Maryland state court judges Georgetown University Law Center alumni Columbus School of Law alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American judges {{Maryland-politician-stub