Tillie Kidd Fowler (December 23, 1942 – March 2, 2005) was an American lawyer and politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from Florida's 4th congressional district from 1993 to 2001. Her father and brother served as state legislators in Georgia. A Republican moderate, she was a strong advocate for defense spending.
Early life and education
Tillie Kidd was born in Milledgeville, Georgia on December 23, 1942. Her father, Culver Kidd Jr., served in the Georgia General Assembly for 46 years, including 16 years in the state house and 30 in the state senate. Her brother, Rusty Kidd, served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2009 to 2017. She graduated from Salem Academy in Winston-Salem, North Carolina in 1960 before earning her undergraduate degree from Emory University, She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Emory University School of Law three years later. she blasted the Clinton administration's cuts in defense spending and subsequent increases in spending for peacekeeping missions. She tried to head off the shutdown of the naval firing range at Vieques, but was unsuccessful. Her interest in defense issues, as well as her demeanor, earned her the nickname "Steel Magnolia."
thumb|right|Tillie K. Fowler
Unlike most Republicans elected to Congress during the 1990s, Fowler had very good relations with Democrats. She was one of the few Republicans active in the Congressional Women's Caucus, and refused to campaign against incumbents with whom she had friendly relations. She was also an ardent feminist, vociferously protesting an article in Roll Call in which a picture of Republican women at a press conference only showed their legs and black pumps. She hired Stephanie Kopelousos as an intern in 1993; by 1998 Kopelousos was a senior legislative aide.
Fowler eventually rose to vice-chairwoman of the House Republican Conference (caucus), the number-five position among House Republicans (behind the Speaker, Majority Leader, Majority Whip and Republican Conference chair).
Later career
Following her tenure in Congress, Fowler joined the prominent Washington law firm Holland & Knight as a partner. She also served as an advisor to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld on operational issues. She frequently lobbied her former colleagues on behalf of Jacksonville during debate over military base realignment and closures. In addition, she chaired the Department of Defense panel responsible for investigating the 2003 United States Air Force Academy sexual assault scandal.
In 2001, Fowler was appointed by Congress to the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry.
Death
Fowler died on March 2, 2005, of a brain hemorrhage in a hospital in Jacksonville, Florida.