Ralph A. Foote

Who was Ralph A. Foote?

Ralph Albert Foote was the 67th Lieutenant Governor of Vermont from 1961 to 1965, and a prominent attorney practicing in Middlebury, Vermont.

Foote was born in Proctor, Vermont on January 22, 1923. He graduated from Amherst College in 1943 and served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II, including combat at the Battle of Okinawa.

He graduated from Albany Law School in 1949 and became an attorney in Middlebury. He returned to active duty with the Marines during the Korean War.

A Republican, Foote served as Addison County State's Attorney from 1950 to 1956. Foote ran successfully for the Vermont House of Representatives in 1956 and served two terms, also serving as Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.

Elected Lieutenant Governor in 1960, he served under Republican F. Ray Keyser, Jr. When Keyser lost the governorship to Philip H. Hoff in 1962, Foote won re-election. In 1964 Foote challenged Hoff but lost badly in the "Goldwater Landslide".

Foote spent the rest of his career at the law firm of Conley and Foote in Middlebury.