Ralph A. Foote

Ralph Albert Foote (January 22, 1923 – July 16, 2003) was the 68th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1961 to 1965, and a prominent attorney practicing in Middlebury, Vermont.

Ralph Albert Foote
68th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont
In office 1961–1965
Governor	F. Ray Keyser, Jr. Philip H. Hoff
Preceded by	Robert S. Babcock
Succeeded by	John J. Daley
Personal details
Born	January 22, 1923 Proctor, Vermont, U.S.
Died	July 16, 2003 (aged 80) Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Nancy Dickey Foote (died May 10, 2014)
Children	Brian Peter Cory Richard Anthony
Profession	Attorney

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 Addison County State's Attorney from 1950 to 1956. 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 the "Goldwater Landslide".[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]

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