In November 1975, two days before his loss in the Philadelphia mayoral election, Lois Toland wrote the following in a letter to her cousin, Thomas M. Foglietta:

…at this hour it looks black. Maybe Tuesday will be a welcome surprise, but if not I wish to say these few things….You have cause to be bitter. The lack of funds and help and support from your party is a complete disgrace. You are not the loser-they are. The best man ever to run was you and had they done their job, the city would have been in the hands of someone who has loved, lived and breathed for it….Somehow, although it may not seem so today, things always happen for the best…

The last statement seems prophetic when reviewing the political papers of Thomas M. Foglietta. Although the mayoral loss was a great disappointment, it helped to pave the way for his election in 1980 as U.S. Representative from the First District of Pennsylvania. His tenure in Congress came at a time when the First District and the Philadelphia area were faced with overwhelming challenges. His considerable skills and talents as a politician, his dedication to his constituents and to the City of Philadelphia-along with committed, hard-working staff members-combined to make him the right person, in the right place, at the right time. A review of the Congressional papers found in this collection clearly indicate this.

Foremost among these challenges was the potential and eventual closing of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The papers detail Foglietta's efforts to save parts of the Yard along with wide-ranging endeavors to develop and implement reuse and reinvestment plans to attract new businesses, retrain and assist workers, and ensure environmental cleanup of the site. The collection reveals not only efforts and activities in Foglietta's Congressional offices, but also contains information on collaborative efforts with Mayor Rendell and the City of Philadelphia's Office of Defense Conversion, the Governor's office, and labor unions. Other areas of local research interest include the Logan and Roxborough neighborhoods, physical deterioration of the infrastructure of Independence Hall, and efforts to develop and improve the Ports of Philadelphia.

The papers show how Foglietta and his staff members labored effectively and tirelessly on these issues for the benefit of the First District and the Philadelphia area at large. In particular, the work on slowing the demise of PNSY while at the same time keeping parts of it operational and pursuing other avenues of reuse and reinvestment is impressive. These efforts helped to keep PNSY alive while shipyard and city officials considered options for the future. An example of the appreciation of these efforts can be found in the collection's materials on the USS Kennedy SLEP (Service Life Extension Program). In response to successful legislative efforts to keep the overhaul of the USS Kennedy at PNSY, Charles P. Pizzi, President of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, wrote the following to Congressman Foglietta:

On behalf of our 6,000 member businesses, I am writing to convey my thanks and congratulations to you for your efforts to extend the life of the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The overhaul of the USS Kennedy at the shipyard not only preserves thousands of area jobs for the near term, but it also provides more time for policymakers to decide on the shipyard's future. [Letter written on September 20, 1991].

Other papers in the collection reveal additional examples of strategies devised and plans implemented to achieve a remarkable legislative record. For example, the extent of the breadth and depth of work performed by Foglietta and his Washington staff is illustrated in great detail in an 'achievements' memo of December 1991 as well as in a departure memorandum by staff member, Anne Rung, written on May 17, 1996, approximately one year before Foglietta's appointment as Ambassador to Italy. The Congressman and his staff appeared to have never slackened in their continuous pursuit to find creative solutions to problems faced by their constituents as well as the City of Philadelphia.

These political papers also provide insight into Foglietta's broader interests such as urban economic development through empowerment zones and concerns over U.S. involvement in the Persian Gulf War. In his personal notes on the latter, Foglietta wrote: "We spent $77 bil[lion] to solve the problems of Kuwait City-could we not continue that expenditure for 20 more days (1 bil per day) to solve the problems of the cities of the U.S.A." [n.d., Feb. 1991?]. In these notes, he also expressed concerns over Federal spending on sophisticated weapons systems rather than research and development in the civilian manufacturing sectors as well as the high rate of casualties among the Iraqis.

The correspondence in the 'subject files' series as well as in the personal correspondence section indicate the respect and support for the Congressman from colleagues on Capitol Hill as well as in the White House, Executive agencies, and the Mayor of Philadelphia's office. For example, in a farewell note written upon his retirement from Congress in 1992, Representative Charles E. Bennett of Florida wrote the following: "Friends are rare but you are a priceless jewel. May God bless you. CEB" [Letter written November 19, 1992].

In addition to providing insight into legislative strategies and policy formulation, these political papers illustrate the importance of collaborative efforts with officials of the City of Philadelphia, area businesses, and labor unions as well as members of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware delegations in achieving legislative successes. The collection also shows the inner workings of a Congressional office and demonstrates the importance of teamwork necessary to reach goals. In a note attached to a draft of an achievements memo written in December 1991, chief of staff Tony Green wrote the following to his staff members, "Attached you will find the achievements memo…Kindly review it for typoes and content…By the way, this is something we all have a lot to be proud of."

This is true not only for 1991 but for the other years as well. This collection contains a wide range of materials for researchers seeking information on an important period in Philadelphia's history. It also provides many examples for those interested in understanding why the citizens of the First District and the City of Philadelphia are indebted to Congressman Foglietta and his staff for their fine efforts and dedicated service.