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Beryl Anthony | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chair of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991 | |
| Leader | Jim Wright Tom Foley |
| Preceded by | Tony Coelho |
| Succeeded by | Vic Fazio |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's4th district | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Ray Thornton |
| Succeeded by | Jay Dickey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Beryl Franklin Anthony Jr. (1938-02-21)February 21, 1938 El Dorado, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | January 11, 2025(2025-01-11) (aged 86) Palm City, Florida, U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sheila F. Anthony |
| Relatives | Vince Foster (brother-in-law) |
| Education | University of Arkansas (BS,JD) |
Beryl Franklin Anthony Jr. (February 21, 1938 – January 11, 2025) was an American lawyer and politician who representedArkansas in theUnited States House of Representatives for seven terms from 1979 to 1993.
Anthony was born inEl Dorado, Arkansas, the son of Oma Lee Roark and Beryl Franklin Anthony.[1] He attended theUnion County public schools, graduating from El Dorado High School in 1956. In 1961, he received aBachelor of Science andBachelor of Arts degrees from theUniversity of Arkansas where he became a member of theSigma Chi fraternity. He obtained aJuris Doctor from the same university in 1963.
Anthony was admitted to the Arkansas bar in 1963[2] and began practice in El Dorado. He became assistant attorney general from 1964 to 1965; deputy prosecuting attorney in Union County from 1966 to 1970; prosecuting attorney for the 13th Judicial District from 1971 to 1976, and legal counsel to Anthony Forest Products Co. in 1977. He started his own private practice of law in 1977.
Anthony was a delegate to Arkansas State Democratic conventions from 1964 to 1978.
In November 1978, he was elected as aDemocrat to theUnited States House of Representatives and served seven terms, from January 3, 1979, to January 3, 1993.
Vice president of his freshman class in Congress, Anthony was a founding member of the Sunbelt Coalition, a group that monitored the legislative impact upon southern states. After one term, he was appointed to theHouse Ways and Means Committee. He also served on the Oversight and Trade Subcommittees as well as the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. Anthony chaired theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 1987 to 1991. He maintained a conservative voting record in Congress, similar to otherSouthern Democrats.
As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Anthony pursued a variety of important issues. In the 1980s, he played a major role in restructuring theSocial Securitytrust fund. He championed legislation for improved rural health care, for which he was given awards by both the Arkansas Hospital Association and theAmerican Hospital Association. In his last terms, he focused on international trade, working on theNorth American Free Trade Agreement and on legislation for theGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.
In 1988, Congress created the bipartisan Anthony Public Finance Commission, composed of mayors, governors, local government officials, and members of the finance community, to recommend legislation to enable local governments to better finance the building of roads, schools, hospitals, and wastewater treatment facilities. The commission's Arbitrage Relief Provision, enacted in 1989, substantially lessened the borrowing costs for infrastructure investments.
Due in part to his involvement with theHouse banking scandal, Anthony lost his bid for renomination in the Democratic Primary runoff in June 1992 toArkansas Secretary of State William J. "Bill" McCuen[2] who lost the general election toRepublicanJay W. Dickey due to a series of embarrassing incidents.[3] McCuen received campaign funding from theNational Rifle Association (NRA) due to Anthony’s support of legislation limiting so-called “Cop Killer” bullets.[4]
In January 1993, Anthony became a partner in the Washington, D.C. office ofWinston & Strawn. His clients have included major trade associations, governmental entities, and national and multinational corporations. On Capitol Hill and before the White House and executive agencies, Anthony has worked on matters involvinghealth care reform,Superfund, trade relations with China, tax law changes affecting pharmaceuticals, and authorization and funding of major weapons systems. He was a member of the board of directors of Beverly Enterprises which in 2006 before its acquisition by a private equity firm, operated 345 skilled nursing facilities, 18 assisted living centers, and 56 hospice/home care centers.[5]
Anthony's wife, Sheila Foster Anthony is the sister ofVince Foster, the deputy White House counsel whocommitted suicide in 1993. The couple's first child was born in 1964. She was a teacher before getting a law degree. In 1993, after working in theU.S. Commerce Department as the nominatedAssistant Secretary for Legislation and Intergovernmental Affairs for several months, she moved to theU.S. Department of Justice in a similar position, where she worked for two years. From 1997 to 2002, she was acommissioner at the Federal Trade Commission.[6]
Anthony died inPalm City, Florida, on January 11, 2025, at the age of 86.[7]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's 4th congressional district 1979–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Chair of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee 1987–1991 | Succeeded by |
