Vincent Walker Foster Jr. (January 15, 1945 – July 20, 1993) was an American attorney who served as deputy White House counsel during the first six months of the Clinton administration.

Foster had been a partner at Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, where, as The 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 in Fort Marcy Park. Five official governmental investigations ruled his death a suicide, but several conspiracy theories emerged.

Early life and education

Foster was born in Hope, Arkansas, to Vincent W. Foster Sr. and Alice Mae Foster (1914–2012). His father became a successful real estate developer. Another childhood friend was Mack McLarty, who would one day become White House Chief of Staff for Clinton. In 1950, Clinton's mother remarried and they relocated to a different part of Hope. However, Clinton would often return to visit his grandparents in Hope during summers, weekends, and holidays and he maintained connections with the people there.

Foster excelled as a student and athlete. His father wanted him to join the family real estate business, but instead, he opted to attend law school.

Career

Lawyer in Arkansas

In 1971, Foster joined Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, Arkansas, and in 1974 was made partner, The hiring occurred soon after Bill Clinton was elected attorney general of Arkansas, which led Clinton and Rodham to move from Fayetteville to Little Rock. eventually earning nearly $300,000 a year.

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." and in June 1993 would name him as its Outstanding Lawyer of the Year. He was also listed in the Best Lawyers in America book. He was also an established figure in Little Rock society, serving as the chair of the board of the Arkansas Repertory Theatre and belonging to the exclusive Country Club of Little Rock. The Foster residence was a small rented house in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. and also several Whitewater-related tax returns. He worked twelve-hour days, six or seven days a week, and although thin to begin with, began losing weight. Foster was prescribed the anti-depressant medication trazodone over the phone by his Arkansas doctor, starting with a low initial dosage. He was 48 years old.

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" and saying, "I was not meant for the job or the spotlight of public life in Washington. Here ruining people is considered sport."

His funeral mass was held at the St. Andrew's Cathedral in Little Rock.

Foster was buried in Memory Gardens Cemetery in his hometown of Hope. Foster was survived by his wife and three children.

Subsequent investigations

Five official or governmental investigations into Foster's death all concluded that he died of suicide.

  • The first investigation was conducted by the United States Park Police, in whose jurisdiction the death occurred, in 1993.
  • Investigations by a coroner and Independent Counsel Robert B. Fiske, in a 58-page report released on June 30, 1994, also concluded that Foster's death was a suicide. One was by Representative William F. Clinger Jr. of Pennsylvania, the ranking Republican on the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, who reached this conclusion in findings published on August 12, 1994.
  • After a three-year investigation, Whitewater independent counsel Ken Starr released a report on October 10, 1997, also concluding that the death was a suicide. The inclusion of Foster's death in the Starr investigation, and the length of time it took, was in part due to the role of Starr associate counsel Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh's role in this became controversial two decades later during his Supreme Court nomination process.

Legacy

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. White House chief of staff and childhood friend Mack McLarty said that "It was a deep cut. It clearly had a tremendous impact."

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."

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. An endowed chair at the University of Arkansas School of Law, the Vincent Foster University Professor of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility, was created in his name.

References

  • Report on the Death of Vincent W. Foster, Jr,/by the Office of Independent Counsel in Re Madison Guaranty Savings and Loan Association HathiTrust Digital Library, Universities of Michigan and Purdue. The complete 137-page, 2-volume report with appendices, footnotes, and exhibits.
  • Foster Report posted by The Washington Post. This file does not contain the report's footnotes, or the volume 2 appendix.
  • Frontline: Once Upon a Time in Arkansas: Vince Foster's journal
  • FBI Records: The Vault – Vincent Foster