Title
Honoring the memory and celebrating the life of Ambassador Thomas M. Foglietta.
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WHEREAS, Thomas M. Foglietta, the youngest of five children of Michael and Rose Foglietta, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1928. He grew up in a close knit Italian American family in South Philadelphia. His father was a Republican committeeman and ward leader, who later served as the Clerk of Quarter Sessions and member of City Council, instilling in young “Tommy” a belief in public service; and
WHEREAS, Tom Foglietta graduated from Saint Joseph’s College and earned a law degree from Temple University. He began his political ascent at the age of 26, as the youngest person ever elected to the City Council of Philadelphia. He served in that office for almost 20 years before resigning to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming the Mayor of Philadelphia; and
WHEREAS, Tom Foglietta remained active in political circles despite his loss in the mayoral election. He formed “Republicans for Green” to raise money for former Mayor William J. Green’s campaign. The following year, he was approached to run as an Independent for the United States House of Representatives. Those around him were sure that the public would vote, without regard for the party label, for a candidate they viewed as possessing integrity and honesty; and
WHEREAS, Tom Foglietta was elected to the 97th Congress in 1980 and served with great distinction for the next seventeen years. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, Congressman Foglietta fought on numerous occasions to save the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Though the Navy Yard eventually closed, workers never blamed Congressman Foglietta because they knew he had personally tried to save it; and
WHEREAS, In Congress, he became well versed in foreign policy and supported democratic reforms in South Korea and Haiti. He made international headlines when he was physically assaulted by police in Seoul, Korea while accompanying South Korean dissident, Kim Dae Jung on his flight home. In 1999, Tom Foglietta received a South Korean human-rights award for his unflinching support of democracy; and
WHEREAS, Congressman Foglietta was also concerned with his constituents in Philadelphia and Philadelphia’s place in American history. When Independence Hall’s sprinkler system was in complete disrepair, Tom Foglietta walked the halls of Congress with a piece of the corroded pipe, lobbying members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to appropriate money to ensure the protection of this symbol of American democracy; and
WHEREAS, In 1997, Thomas M. Foglietta, the grandson of Italian immigrants, achieved what others only dream about. He went to their homeland as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Italy, and he served in that post with great distinction until 2000. Ambassador Foglietta is well remembered for kneeling and praying on an Italian mountainside where a U.S. fighter jet had accidentally killed 20 skiers; for Tom Foglietta it was not an orchestrated moment, rather a gesture of respect and mourning for the families who had lost their loved ones. The Italian people greatly respected his sincere act of care and concern and a potential diplomatic disaster was averted. It was the finest hour for a man who had served the public for more than four decades; and
WHEREAS, Thomas M. Foglietta traveled from his roots in South Philadelphia to the American embassy in Rome, and along the way charmed his friends and disarmed his adversaries with his integrity, his sincerity and his courtly manner. But no matter where he went, he never forgot his South Philadelphia roots and to many he will always be “Tommy” from South Philadelphia; now therefore
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we hereby honor the memory and celebrate the life of Ambassador Thomas M. Foglietta.
FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Ambassador Foglietta’s family as evidence of the sincere sentiments of this legislative body.
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