Ralph A. Foote Explained

Ralph A. Foote
Order:69th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
Term Start:January 5, 1961
Term End:January 6, 1965
Governor:F. Ray Keyser, Jr.
Philip H. Hoff
Predecessor:Robert S. Babcock
Successor:John J. Daley
Office2:Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from Middlebury
Term Start2:January 9, 1957
Term End2:January 4, 1961
Predecessor2:Chester A. Ingalls
Successor2:Stanton S. Lazarus
Office3:State's Attorney of Addison County, Vermont
Term Start3:January 23, 1950
Term End3:August 9, 1950
Predecessor3:John A. Calhoun
Successor3:William S. Burrage
Birth Date:22 January 1923
Birth Place:Proctor, Vermont, U.S.
Death Place:Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.
Resting Place:Evergreen Cemetery, West Cornwall, Vermont
Party:Republican
Spouse:Nancy Dickey Foote
Children:5
Education:Amherst College
Albany Law School
Profession:Attorney
Allegiance: United States
Unit:Marine Corps
Marine Corps Reserve
Serviceyears:1943–1946 (Marine Corps)
1946–1950 (Reserve)
1950–1952 (Marine Corps)
1952– 1963 (Reserve)
Rank:Captain
Battles:World War II
Korean War

Ralph Albert Foote (January 22, 1923 – July 16, 2003) was an American attorney who served as the 69th lieutenant governor of Vermont from 1961 to 1965, and a prominent attorney practicing in Middlebury, Vermont.

Early life

Foote was born in Proctor, Vermont, on January 22, 1923. He was the grandson of Lieutenant Governor Abram W. Foote.[1]

Foote graduated from Amherst College in 1943 and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, including combat at the Battle of Okinawa.[2] [3] He graduated from Albany Law School in 1949 and became an attorney in Middlebury. He returned to active duty with the Marines during the Korean War.[4]

Career

A Republican, Foote served as Deputy State's Attorney of Addison County and interim state's attorney. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the Republican state's attorney nomination in 1950. Foote ran successfully for the Vermont House of Representatives in 1956 and served two terms, also serving as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.[5] [6]

Elected Lieutenant Governor in 1960, he served under Republican F. Ray Keyser Jr. When Keyser lost the governorship to Philip H. Hoff in 1962, Foote won re-election. In 1964 Foote challenged Hoff, but lost badly in what turned into a wave election for Democrats nationwide.[7] [8] [9]

Foote spent the rest of his career at the law firm of Conley and Foote in Middlebury. He also served as president of the Addison County and Vermont Bar Associations, was chairman of the Vermont Judicial Conduct Board, and chaired the Middlebury and Addison County Republican Committees.[10]

Personal life

He was married for more than 50 years to Nancy Dickey Foote. They had five sons—Brian, Peter, Cory, Richard, and Anthony.[11]

Death

He died in Middlebury on July 16, 2003. He was cremated, and his remains were interred at Evergreen Cemetery in West Cornwall, Vermont.[12] His wife Nancy died on May 10, 2014.

Notes and References

  1. Vermont Bar Association, The Vermont Bar Journal, Volume 28, 2003, page 54
  2. Probate Counsel, Inc., The Probate Counsel directory, 1966, page 978
  3. Vermont General Assembly, House Concurrent Resolution 249, 2004
  4. Orwell Historical Society, A History of the Town of Orwell, Vermont, 2001, page 193
  5. Middlebury College, "The Campus" newspaper, Lieutenant Governor of Vermont Will Speak in Proctor on Monday, October 3, 1963
  6. Vermont Bar Association, The Vermont Bar Journal, Volume 28, 2003, page 54
  7. Encyclopædia Britannica, Britannica Book of the Year 1960, 1961, page 734
  8. Crowell-Collier Publishing Company, Collier's Encyclopedia Year Book, 1962, page 702
  9. Samuel B. Hand, The Star That Set: The Vermont Republican Party, 1854-1974, 2003, pages 249-250
  10. Vermont Bar Association, The Vermont Bar Journal, Volume 28, 2003, page 54
  11. Vermont General Assembly, House Concurrent Resolution 249, 2004
  12. Sanderson Funeral Service, Obituary, Nancy D. Foote, May 10, 2014