Edgar Franklin Foreman Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 1969 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 1969 – January 3, 1971 | |
| Preceded by | E. S. Johnny Walker (redistricting) |
| Succeeded by | Harold L. Runnels |
| Constituency | New Mexico 2nd |
| In office January 3, 1963 – January 3, 1965 | |
| Preceded by | J. T. Rutherford |
| Succeeded by | Richard Crawford White |
| Constituency | Texas 16th |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1933-12-22)December 22, 1933 Portales, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Died | February 2, 2022(2022-02-02) (aged 88) |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Preston Kirk Foreman Rebecca Lynn Foreman |
| Residence(s) | Odessa,Ector County, Texas Las Cruces, New Mexico Dallas, Texas |
| Alma mater | Eastern New Mexico University New Mexico State University (BS) |
| Occupation | Civil engineer businessman motivational speaker |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1956–1957 |
Edgar Franklin Foreman Jr. (December 22, 1933 – February 2, 2022) was an American businessman and politician who was a member of theUnited States House of Representatives. He served one term representingTexas's 16th congressional district from 1963 to 1965 and a second term from 1969 to 1971 representingNew Mexico's 2nd district, then newly established.[1] He is the most historically recent member of Congress to haverepresented more than one state during their career.
Foreman was born on a peanut farm inPortales, New Mexico, inRoosevelt County in southeasternNew Mexico, to Edgar Foreman Sr. and the former Lillian Childress.[2][3]
From 1952 to 1953, he attendedEastern New Mexico College in Portales. He transferred toNew Mexico State University inLas Cruces, where in 1955 he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree incivil engineering.
From 1953 to 1956, Foreman was employed byPhillips Petroleum Company. From 1956 to 1957, he served in theUnited States Navy as an enlisted sailor.[4] He also served in theUnited States Navy Reserve andUnited States Air Force Reserve. While in the Air Force Reserve, he became a captain in the9999th Air Reserve Squadron in Washington, DC while serving as a congressman.[4] He headed Foreman Brine Sales and Service inOdessa, Texas, from 1956 to 1962. He was formerly the president of Valley Transit Mix, Atlas Land Company, and Foreman Oil, Inc.[3]
In 1962 Foreman was elected to Congress from the 16th District inWest Texas,[3] which stretched fromEl Paso to thePermian Basin. His victory is attributed to the incumbentDemocratic RepresentativeJ. T. Rutherford having been linked with theBillie Sol Estes scandal.[citation needed] In that same election, the Democrat, later Republican,John Connally, was electedgovernor over the Republican oilfield equipment executive Jack Cox.
Foreman voted against theCivil Rights Act of 1964.[5] Foreman was defeated for re-election in 1964, a year in which PresidentLyndon B. Johnson, a Texan, was reelected over RepublicanU.S. SenatorBarry M. Goldwater in a landslide, and the Republicans suffered massive losses throughout the nation.
Following his defeat, he relocated to New Mexico, where he became active in business and civic affairs inLas Cruces.[6] In 1968 while residing in Las Cruces, Foreman ran for Congress in the southern district ofNew Mexico[3] and upset the two-term DemocratE. S. "Johnny" Walker ofAlbuquerque.Richard Nixon won New Mexico's electoral votes that year overHubert H. Humphrey, and that Republican momentum helped Foreman to get elected.[citation needed] Foreman was unseated after a single term in 1970 by DemocratHarold Runnels.
After losing a House seat for the second time in six years, Foreman in 1971 was appointed Assistant Secretary of the Interior in the Nixon administration, and the following year, 1972, he was appointed to a position at theUnited States Department of Transportation, where he stayed until 1976.[6]
Foreman died on February 2, 2022, at the age of 88.[7]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | U.S. Representative fromTexas's 16th congressional district 1963–1965 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | U.S. Representative fromNew Mexico's 2nd congressional district 1969–1971 | Succeeded by |
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| At-large seats (1912–1969) |
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| Districts (1969–present) (3rd district established in 1983) |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
