Vince Foster | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Foster in February 1993 | |
| Deputy White House Counsel | |
| In office January 20, 1993 – July 20, 1993 | |
| President | Bill Clinton |
| Preceded by | John P. Schmitz |
| Succeeded by | Joel Klein |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Vincent Walker Foster Jr. (1945-01-15)January 15, 1945 Hope, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Died | July 20, 1993(1993-07-20) (aged 48) Fairfax County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Sheila F. Anthony (sister) |
| Education | Davidson College (BA) Vanderbilt University University of Arkansas (JD) |
Vincent Walker Foster Jr. (January 15, 1945 – July 20, 1993) was an American attorney who served asdeputy White House counsel during the first six months of theClinton administration.
Foster had been a partner atRose Law Firm inLittle Rock, Arkansas, where, asThe Washington Post later wrote, he rose to "the pinnacle of the Arkansas legal establishment." In July 1993, he was found dead of a gunshot wound inFort Marcy Park. Five official governmental investigations ruled his death a suicide, butseveral conspiracy theories emerged.
Foster was born inHope, Arkansas, to Vincent W. Foster Sr. and Alice Mae Foster (1914–2012).[1] His father became a successful real estate developer.[2][3] Vincent had two sisters,Sheila and Sharon.[1]
Vincent was a childhood friend ofBill Clinton, then known as Billy Blythe.[4] Clinton, a year and a half younger than Foster, resided in an adjoining property to Foster's[4] with his grandparents whilehis mother was often away studying nursing.[5] Clinton later recalled, "I lived with my grandparents in a modest little house across from Vince Foster's nice, big, white brick house."[4] Another Clinton recollection was that Foster "was kind to me and never lorded it over me the way so many older boys did with younger ones."[6] Another childhood friend wasMack McLarty, who would one day becomeWhite House Chief of Staff for Clinton.[7] In 1950, Clinton's mother remarried and they relocated to a different part of Hope.[5] By several accounts, Foster and Clinton attended Miss Marie Purkins' School for Little Folks together, a private kindergarten,[8][9] although Foster was a year ahead in school. Then, around late 1952, the Clintons moved away toHot Springs.[5] However, Clinton would often return to visit his grandparents in Hope during summers, weekends, and holidays and he maintained connections with the people there.[8]
Foster excelled as a student and athlete.[4] AtHope High School, he became president of the student council, with McLarty serving as vice president.[7] He graduated from Hope High School in 1963.[1]
Foster attendedDavidson College, graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1967.[3][9] His father wanted him to join the family real estate business, but instead, he opted to attend law school.[2]
After starting atVanderbilt University Law School, he joined theArkansas National Guard during the height of theVietnam War[2] to avoidthe military draft.[3] To be closer to his guard responsibilities, he transferred to theUniversity of Arkansas School of Law inFayetteville, Arkansas,[2] where he was managing editor of thelaw review.[1] He received hisJuris Doctor in 1971, graduating first in his class.[2] He scored the highest in his class on the Arkansasbar exam.[2]
Foster met Elizabeth Braden, known as Lisa, during his sophomore year at Davidson; she was the daughter of an insurance broker fromNashville and was attendingSweet Briar College.[2] They married on April 20, 1968, at St. Henry Catholic Church in Nashville.[2] They had three children: Vincent III, Laura, and John.[2][10]
In 1971, Foster joinedRose Law Firm inLittle Rock, Arkansas,[11] and in 1974 was made partner,[1] one of only nine in the firm at the time.[12] He was the head of theArkansas Bar Association committee that oversawlegal aid, and as such worked with legal aid clinic workerHillary Rodham in successfully overcoming an unreasonable measuring requirement for indigent clients.[11] Foster then initiated the hiring of Rodham at Rose Law Firm, where she became its first ever female associate[11] (and later first female partner); Foster and fellow partnerWebster Hubbell were instrumental in overcoming the reluctance of other partners to hire a woman.[12] The hiring occurred soon after Bill Clinton was electedattorney general of Arkansas, which led Clinton and Rodham to move from Fayetteville to Little Rock.[12] Foster and Rodham worked together on a number of cases.[9] And as Bill Clinton's political career gained force, Foster supported him.[6] They were also personal friends and Foster was the one who taught their daughterChelsea Clinton how to swim.[6]
Foster practiced mostlycorporate law,[13] eventually earning nearly $300,000 a year.[13] Known for his extensive preparation of cases ahead of time, including the creation ofdecision trees,[7] Foster developed a reputation as one of the best trial litigators in Arkansas.[9] Hillary Rodham Clinton's memoir calls Foster "one of the best lawyers I've ever known," and compared him in style and substance toGregory Peck's portrayal ofAtticus Finch in the classic 1962 filmTo Kill a Mockingbird.[11] In Bill Clinton's memoir, he characterizes Foster as "a tall, handsome, wise, good man."[6] WriterCarl Bernstein has described Foster as "tall, with impeccable manners and a formal mien ... elegant in perfectly tailored suits, and soft-spoken to the point of taciturnity."[12] WriterDan Moldea characterized him as "a 'can-do' lawyer who worked best when under pressure."[3] Phillip Carroll, the leading litigator at Rose Law Firm, once said of Foster, "He was my ideal of a young lawyer."[14] TheABA Journal reported that Foster was "acknowledged by many as the soul of the firm".[14]
He appeared to experience only success at Rose Law; a partner later said, "I never saw a professional setback. Never. Not even a tiny one."[13] The firm grew five times its size during his time there.[7] The Arkansas Bar Association gave him a number of awards[4] and in June 1993 would name him as its Outstanding Lawyer of the Year.[3] He was also listed in theBest Lawyers in America book.[7] His wife Lisa described him as driven to prevail, staying up around the clock to prepare for big cases, believing he would lose the case even though he rarely did; she later viewed this as an early sign of depressed behavior.[2]
By 1992, Vince Foster was, asThe Washington Post later wrote, at "the pinnacle of the Arkansas legal establishment."[15] He was also an established figure in Little Rock society, serving as the chair of the board of theArkansas Repertory Theatre and belonging to the exclusive Country Club of Little Rock.[7]
AfterClinton's 1992 election, Foster joined Clinton's presidential transition team.[7] Once Clinton was inaugurated, Foster joined hisWhite House staff asDeputy White House Counsel in early 1993.[1] This was despite Foster's initial reluctance to leave his Little Rock life behind and come to Washington.[2][7] There he worked under theWhite House Counsel,Bernard W. Nussbaum, although Nussbaum would consider the pair to be "co-senior partners".[7] He was also joined with two other Rose Law Firm partners,William H. Kennedy, III, who served as his associate counsel, andWebster Hubbell, who becameAssociate Attorney General.[16] The Foster residence was a small rented house inGeorgetown in Washington, D.C.[7]
Foster had difficulty making the transition to life and politics in Washington.[15] Unlike some other Clinton-associated figures, he had no experience with campaigns or electoral politics.[7] His wife and youngest son were not with him, having stayed behind in Arkansas so the son could complete his senior year of high school atCatholic High in Little Rock.[7][17] His initial role was in vetting potential administration appointees.[7] As one subject of the vetting process later said, "I wondered why I was being interviewed by the guy who would be deputy counsel. Seemed his job was to find out how honest I was, and what level of ego I was bringing. It's a measure of how much the Clintons trusted him."[7] But Foster found this involvement in vetting appointments to be causing himdepression andanxiety.[15] In particular, he blamed himself for the failedZoë Baird nomination;[15] he had thought that Baird had been justified in following her lawyer's advice regarding the payment of taxes on household employees, but he had failed to anticipate the political backlash that led to it becoming known as "Nannygate" and that blemished the early days of the administration.[7] The equally unsuccessfulKimba Wood andLani Guinier appointments were also under Foster's purview.[18] He had to resign from the Country Club of Little Rock once its all-white membership became a political issue for others in the administration.[7]
As Deputy Counsel, Foster was also involved in a range of other matters, including preparation ofexecutive orders, analyzing the legal effect of various policies, examining international treaties, discussing the ramifications ofauthorizations for use of military force, and authorizing expenditures within the White House.[7] Foster worked on placing the Clintons' financial holdings into ablind trust.[7]
He handled the Clintons'Madison Guaranty andIndustrial Development Corporation paperwork[19] and also severalWhitewater-relatedtax returns.[20] He worked twelve-hour days, six or seven days a week, and although thin to begin with, began losing weight.[7][21]
On May 8, 1993, Foster gave the commencement address at the University of Arkansas Law School, his alma mater, and said:
The reputation you develop for intellectual and ethical integrity will be your greatest asset or your worst enemy. You will be judged by your judgment. ... Treat every pleading, every brief, every contract, every letter, every daily task as if your career will be judged on it ... There is no victory, no advantage, no fee, no favor, which is worth even a blemish on your reputation for intellect and integrity. ... Dents to the reputation in the legal profession are irreparable.[17][7]
One faculty member listening to it recalled telling another that it was "the most depressing graduation speech I had ever heard, in both content and manner."[21] A friend of Foster's has said, "Look, it's just crazy, right? You get one dent and it can never be fixed? In Washington, you get them all the time. You get twenty dents and you go to the body shop. Vince couldn't see that, apparently."[7]
Four days after the commencement speech, theWhite House travel office controversy erupted.[17][7]Foster was the target of several criticalWall Street Journal editorials in June and July 1993,[15] with titles such as "Who is Vincent Foster?"[13] He became quite upset over the travel office matter and the possibility of a congressional hearing[15] at which he might have been called to testify.[18] Disliking the public spotlight[13] and having continuedweight loss andinsomnia,[15] he considered resigning his position but feared a personal humiliation upon returning to Arkansas.[15]
Struggling withdepression,[13][15] which after his death was assessed asclinical depression,[22] Foster was prescribed the anti-depressant medicationtrazodone over the phone by his Arkansas doctor, starting with a low initial dosage.[13] The next day, Foster was found dead inFort Marcy Park, a federal park in Virginia.[23] He was 48 years old.[23] An autopsy determined that he was shot in the mouth and no other wounds were found on his body.[24]
A draft resignation letter was found torn into 27 pieces in his briefcase. The letter contained a list of grievances, including, "The WSJ editors lie without consequence"[25] and saying, "I was not meant for the job or the spotlight of public life in Washington. Here ruining people is considered sport."[26]
Hisfuneral mass was held at theSt. Andrew's Cathedral in Little Rock.[9] Bill Clinton gave a eulogy in which he recalled their boyhood times together and quoted a line fromLeon Russell's "A Song for You": "I love you in a place that has no space and time."[27]
Foster was buried in Memory Gardens Cemetery in his hometown of Hope. Foster was survived by his wife and three children.
Five official or governmental investigations into Foster's death all concluded that he died of suicide.[28]
In 2004, theSupreme Court ruledunanimously inNational Archives and Records Administration v. Favish that the pictures of the scene and autopsy should not be released.[35]
Foster's death, occurring just six months into the new administration, is thought by some to have ended the optimism and remaining innocence of the White House staff.[36] White House chief of staff and childhood friendMack McLarty said that "It was a deep cut. It clearly had a tremendous impact."[36] Nussbaum speculated that if Foster had lived, he would have helped resist the calls to appointindependent counsels and the many investigations lumped under theWhitewater umbrella that occupied the administration and Clinton for the rest of his presidency might not have happened.[36] As it did happen, how Hillary Clinton's chief of staff,Maggie Williams, in particular handled Foster's files and documents immediately after his death became an issue of much investigation itself.[18][37]
Years later, Bill Clinton expressed his continued anger about the Foster rumors and theories, clenching a fist as he spoke: "I heard a lot of the right-wing talk show people ... and all the sleazy stuff they said. They didn't give a rip that he had killed himself or that his family was miserable or that they could break the hearts [of Foster's friends and family]. It was just another weapon to slug us with, to dehumanize us with."[21]
Foster's death also had an effect on Rose Law Firm, as many within the firm had expected Foster to become its leader once he returned from service in Washington.[14] As one partner later said, "In meetings of the partners, he didn't often take a vocal stand. ... But when he did, it almost always swayed the firm. When he left for Washington, people here spoke openly about the emotional vacuum."[7] Colleagues speculated that Foster might have someday become president of the state bar association or a choice for a federal judgeship.[2]
Beginning in 1993, the Vince Foster Jr. Outstanding Lawyer Award was given out annually by thePulaski County Bar Association to recognize members who contributed to the bar and advanced the legal profession.[38] An endowed chair at theUniversity of Arkansas School of Law, the Vincent Foster University Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, was created in his name.[9] In 2015 a holder of the chair, Howard W. Brill, was appointed Chief Justice of theArkansas Supreme Court.[39]
Media related toVince Foster at Wikimedia Commons
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