Thomas M. Foglietta Collection
Photo Gallery Abstract
From 1980 to 1997, Thomas M. Foglietta, a descendant of Italian immigrants, represented Pennsylvania's First District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Foglietta's tenure in Congress came at a time when the First District and the City of Philadelphia were faced with overwhelming challenges. Foremost among these challenges was the threatened and eventual closing of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard by the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission and the potentially devastating impact on the area's economy. These papers detail efforts by Foglietta and his staff to save parts of the Navy Yard along with wide-ranging endeavors to maintain ship repair and overhaul work, develop reuse and reinvestment plans, and to retrain workers. Other difficulties during this period in Philadelphia's history included sinking homes in the Logan and Roxborough neighborhoods, physical deterioration of Independence Hall in Independence National Historical Park, and the need for improvements at the Ports of Philadelphia. This collection demonstrates how Foglietta and his staff labored effectively on these issues and collaborated with Mayor Ed Rendell and the City of Philadelphia's Office of Defense Conversion, labor unions, and members of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware Congressional delegations to achieve legislative successes. The papers also provide insight into Foglietta's broader interests such as urban economic development through enterprise zones and concerns over U.S. involvement in the Persian Gulf War.
Last revision / review: July 29, 2004
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Christopher O. Dixon
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Saint Joseph's University
cdixon@sju.edu
