Foley, Roger Drummond, 1917-1996

Roger Drummond Foley (1917-1996) was Nevada’s 23rd Attorney General and was nominated to the federal United States District Court, District of Nevada by President John F. Kennedy in 1962. A few of Foley’s famous cases during his tenure included the radiation exposure of the “Baneberry” Nuclear Test and the protection of the Ash Meadows Desert Pupfish in United States v. Francis Leo Cappaert.

Roger D. Foley was born on April 28, 1917 in Goldfield, Nevada to Federal District Court Judge Roger Thomas Foley and Helen Drummond Foley. Due to a fire that destroyed the businesses of Goldfield in 1922, the Foleys decided to move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1928 to seek welfare. Foley initially studied for the priesthood before following in the footsteps of his father by becoming a lawyer. He matriculated to the University of San Francisco Law School and received his LLB degree. At the time of World War Two, Foley served as a first lieutenant bombardier and navigator in the United States Army Air Corps. He married Anne Foley and had three children together: Mary Lou Foley, Judy Van Cleve, and Mark Foley.

At the beginning of his career in law, Foley dedicated his life to public service and Nevada politics. He served as Deputy District Attorney in Clark County, Nevada from 1948 to 1951 and as District Attorney for Clark County from 1951 to 1955. After his four-year term, Foley went into private practice in law with his brothers in Las Vegas. A few years later, he was soon elected as Nevada’s 23rd Attorney General on November 4, 1958. Foley’s Judicial career commenced on June 12, 1962 when President John F. Kennedy nominated him to the federal United States District Court, District of Nevada. He received his judicial commission on July 2, 1962 and was sworn into office by his father, Federal District Judge Roger T. Foley. From 1963 to 1980, Foley served as federal chief judge and assumed federal senior judge status on October 29, 1982.

Due to health issues, Roger D. Foley resigned from the bench in 1993 and passed away on January 7, 1996 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Foley Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Las Vegas is named after both Roger D. Foley and his father, Roger T. Foley for their eminence in law.

Sources:

23 - Roger D Foley. Accessed May 29, 2020. http://ag.nv.gov/Bios/Biographies/23_-_Roger_D_Foley/.

“Roger D. Foley, 78, Longtime U.S. Judge.” The New York Times. The New York Times, January 13, 1996. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/13/us/roger-d-foley-78-longtime-us-judge.html.

”Foley, Roger D.” fjc.gov. Accessed May 29, 2020. https://www.fjc.gov/history/judges/foley-roger-d.