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Bill Foster (Illinois politician)
Encyclopedia
George William "Bill" Foster (born October 7, 1955) is a physicist
and businessman, and the former U.S. Representative
for , serving from 2008 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
. He received his bachelor's degree
in physics
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1976 and his Ph.D.
in physics from Harvard University
in 1983. The title of his doctoral dissertation is "An experimental limit on proton decay:
" and is available from University Microfilms International as document number 8402995.
(ETC), now has over 650 employees worldwide and manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States. Installations include Broadway shows
, Rolling Stones tours, opera house
s, Super Bowl halftime shows
, and at schools, churches, and community centers around the world.
with his family to pursue a career in high-energy (particle) physics
at Fermilab
, a Department of Energy National Laboratory
. During Foster's 22 years at Fermilab he participated in several projects, including the design of equipment and data analysis software for the CDF Detector
, which were used in the discovery of the top quark
, and the management of the design and construction of a 3 km Anti-Proton Recycler Ring for the Main Injector. He has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society
, was on the team receiving the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize
for cosmic ray
physics for the discovery of the neutrino
burst from the supernova
SN 1987A
, received the Particle Accelerator Technology Prize from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and was awarded an Energy Conservation award from the United States Department of Energy
for his invention and application of permanent magnet
s for Fermilab
's accelerators
.
resigned as the Representative from Illinois' 14th congressional district. Foster announced his candidacy to fill the vacancy on May 30, 2007. Foster's positions in the following election included a timetable for troop withdrawal from the War in Iraq, increasing the amount of money used to fund alternative energy research, and enforcing existing immigration laws while providing current illegal immigrants with a pathway to citizenship. He also supported federally funded universal health care
.
In the Democratic primaries for the special election to fill Hastert's vacancy and the regular election to fill the subsequent term, held simultaneously on Super Tuesday
(February 5, 2008), Foster defeated John Laesch for the Democratic nomination by a narrow margin of 323 votes in the regular cycle and a wider margin of 3,739 votes in the special cycle.
After a short campaign season marked by aggressive (and often negative) campaigning, on March 8, Foster won the seat against Republican Jim Oberweis, whom Hastert had endorsed, in the general election with 53 percent of the vote. Foster's victory in the initial campaign was aided by discord within the local Republican party, particularly among supporters of Chris Lauzen
, whom Oberweis had narrowly defeated in what had also become an increasingly negative campaign during the Republican primary and also Republicans angry at Oberweis' support of Hastert's Prairie Parkway pet project. Also, Senator Barack Obama
, who was campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for President, made a series of television commercials endorsing Foster for the congressional seat.
Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April due to the need to count absentee ballots before the first election would be certified, he took the oath of office on March 11. Foster joined Vern Ehlers
(R
-MI
) and Rush Holt, Jr.
(D
-NJ
) as the only research physicists
ever to be elected to Congress.
On his first day in office, he cast the deciding vote to keep from tabling
an ethics bill that would create an independent outside panel to investigate ethics complaints against House members.
and Green Party nominee Daniel Kairis. Despite winning the endorsements from the Chicago Tribune
, the Chicago Sun-Times
and The Daily Herald, Foster failed in his reelection bid, conceding to Hultgren.
, Joliet
, Lisle
and Naperville. It also includes roughly a quarter of his old district.
Foster didn't live in the district at the time, though his then-home in Batavia
was only a short distance from the new 11th. He is likely to face 13th District Republican congresswoman Judy Biggert
. Although Biggert represents about half of the new 11th, it is believed to be significantly more Democratic than her current district.
. They have two adult children. Foster has lived and worked in northern Illinois (Naperville
, Geneva
, Batavia
, and St. Charles
) since 1984.
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
and businessman, and the former U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving from 2008 until 2011. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
.
Early life and education
Foster was born in 1955 in Madison, WisconsinMadison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
. He received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in physics
Physics
Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...
from the University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1976 and his Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
in physics from Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
in 1983. The title of his doctoral dissertation is "An experimental limit on proton decay:
" and is available from University Microfilms International as document number 8402995.Business career
At age 19, Foster and his younger brother Fred started a business in their basement with $500 from their parents. The company, Electronic Theatre ControlsElectronic Theatre Controls
Electronic Theatre Controls is a privately held corporation with global headquarters in Middleton, Wisconsin, United States. An international manufacturer of entertainment and architectural lighting systems, ETC offers professional lighting fixtures, lighting control consoles, dimming equipment...
(ETC), now has over 650 employees worldwide and manufactures over half of the theater lighting equipment in the United States. Installations include Broadway shows
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, Rolling Stones tours, opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s, Super Bowl halftime shows
Super Bowl Halftime Shows
The following is a list of Super Bowl halftime shows, held in the United States in the middle of the Super Bowl. Halftime shows are a tradition during football games at all levels of competition....
, and at schools, churches, and community centers around the world.
Physics career
After completing his Ph.D., Foster moved to the Fox ValleyFox Valley (Illinois)
The Fox Valley—also commonly known as the Fox River Valley—is a rural, suburban, and exurban region within Illinois and Wisconsin along the western edges of the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. This region centers on the Fox River of Illinois and Wisconsin...
with his family to pursue a career in high-energy (particle) physics
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
at Fermilab
Fermilab
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a US Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics...
, a Department of Energy National Laboratory
United States Department of Energy National Laboratories
The United States Department of Energy National Laboratories and Technology Centers are a system of facilities and laboratories overseen by the United States Department of Energy for the purpose of advancing science and helping promote the economic and defensive national interests of the United...
. During Foster's 22 years at Fermilab he participated in several projects, including the design of equipment and data analysis software for the CDF Detector
Collider Detector at Fermilab
The Collider Detector at Fermilab experimental collaboration studies high energy particle collisions at the Tevatron,the world's former highest-energy particle accelerator...
, which were used in the discovery of the top quark
Top quark
The top quark, also known as the t quark or truth quark, is an elementary particle and a fundamental constituent of matter. Like all quarks, the top quark is an elementary fermion with spin-, and experiences all four fundamental interactions: gravitation, electromagnetism, weak interactions, and...
, and the management of the design and construction of a 3 km Anti-Proton Recycler Ring for the Main Injector. He has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
, was on the team receiving the 1989 Bruno Rossi Prize
Bruno Rossi Prize
The Bruno Rossi Prize is awarded annually by the High Energy Astrophysics division of the American Astronomical Society "for a significant contribution to High Energy Astrophysics, with particular emphasis on recent, original work". Named after astrophysicist Bruno Rossi, the prize is awarded with...
for cosmic ray
Cosmic ray
Cosmic rays are energetic charged subatomic particles, originating from outer space. They may produce secondary particles that penetrate the Earth's atmosphere and surface. The term ray is historical as cosmic rays were thought to be electromagnetic radiation...
physics for the discovery of the neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
burst from the supernova
Supernova
A supernova is a stellar explosion that is more energetic than a nova. It is pronounced with the plural supernovae or supernovas. Supernovae are extremely luminous and cause a burst of radiation that often briefly outshines an entire galaxy, before fading from view over several weeks or months...
SN 1987A
SN 1987A
SN 1987A was a supernova in the outskirts of the Tarantula Nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a nearby dwarf galaxy. It occurred approximately 51.4 kiloparsecs from Earth, approximately 168,000 light-years, close enough that it was visible to the naked eye. It could be seen from the Southern...
, received the Particle Accelerator Technology Prize from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and was awarded an Energy Conservation award from the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
for his invention and application of permanent magnet
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
s for Fermilab
Fermilab
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory , located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a US Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics...
's accelerators
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Financial ServicesUnited States House Committee on Financial ServicesThe United States House Committee on Financial Services is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees the entire financial services industry, including the securities, insurance, banking, and housing industries...
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditUnited States House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer CreditThe U.S. House Financial Services Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit is a subcommittee of the House Committee on Financial Services.-Jurisdiction:...
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Domestic PolicyUnited States House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic PolicyThe Subcommittee on Domestic Policy is a standing committee within the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Jurisdiction includes domestic policies, including matters relating to energy, labor, education, criminal justice, the economy, as well as the Office of National...
- Subcommittee on National Security and Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
2008 special
On November 26, 2007, former House Republican Speaker J. Dennis HastertDennis Hastert
John Dennis "Denny" Hastert was the 59th Speaker of the House serving from 1999 to 2007. He represented as a Republican for twenty years, 1987 to 2007.He is the longest-serving Republican Speaker in history...
resigned as the Representative from Illinois' 14th congressional district. Foster announced his candidacy to fill the vacancy on May 30, 2007. Foster's positions in the following election included a timetable for troop withdrawal from the War in Iraq, increasing the amount of money used to fund alternative energy research, and enforcing existing immigration laws while providing current illegal immigrants with a pathway to citizenship. He also supported federally funded universal health care
Universal health care
Universal health care is a term referring to organized health care systems built around the principle of universal coverage for all members of society, combining mechanisms for health financing and service provision.-History:...
.
In the Democratic primaries for the special election to fill Hastert's vacancy and the regular election to fill the subsequent term, held simultaneously on Super Tuesday
Super Tuesday, 2008
Super Tuesday 2008, Super Duper Tuesday, Mega Tuesday, Giga Tuesday, Tsunami Tuesday, and The Tuesday of Destiny are names for February 5, 2008, the day on which the largest simultaneous number of state U.S. presidential primary elections in the history of U.S. primaries were held...
(February 5, 2008), Foster defeated John Laesch for the Democratic nomination by a narrow margin of 323 votes in the regular cycle and a wider margin of 3,739 votes in the special cycle.
After a short campaign season marked by aggressive (and often negative) campaigning, on March 8, Foster won the seat against Republican Jim Oberweis, whom Hastert had endorsed, in the general election with 53 percent of the vote. Foster's victory in the initial campaign was aided by discord within the local Republican party, particularly among supporters of Chris Lauzen
Chris Lauzen
Christopher J. Lauzen is a Republican member of the Illinois State Senate. Lauzen was first elected in 1992, has been re-elected to the State Senate in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, and 2010, and ran for Illinois Comptroller in 1998 and Congress in 2008...
, whom Oberweis had narrowly defeated in what had also become an increasingly negative campaign during the Republican primary and also Republicans angry at Oberweis' support of Hastert's Prairie Parkway pet project. Also, Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, who was campaigning to be the Democratic nominee for President, made a series of television commercials endorsing Foster for the congressional seat.
Although it was initially thought that Foster would not be sworn in until April due to the need to count absentee ballots before the first election would be certified, he took the oath of office on March 11. Foster joined Vern Ehlers
Vern Ehlers
Vernon James "Vern" Ehlers is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party....
(R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
-MI
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
) and Rush Holt, Jr.
Rush D. Holt, Jr.
Rush Dew Holt, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is currently the only Quaker in Congress.-Early life and education :Rush D. Holt was born to Rush D...
(D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
-NJ
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
) as the only research physicists
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
ever to be elected to Congress.
On his first day in office, he cast the deciding vote to keep from tabling
Table (parliamentary)
In parliamentary procedure, a motion to table has two different and contradictory meanings:*In the United States, table usually means the motion to lay on the table or motion to postpone consideration; a proposal to suspend consideration of a pending motion...
an ethics bill that would create an independent outside panel to investigate ethics complaints against House members.
2008 general
Months later, Foster and Oberweis faced off again, this time for a full term in the House, but Foster changed his approach from the negative themed ads in his initial run. In fact, Foster's campaign ads did not mention any affiliation with the Democratic party, rather using the slogan "Independent Solutions." In this second race, which culminated during the general election on November 4, 2008 Foster held the seat, and increased his margin of victory.2010
Foster was challenged by Republican nominee State Senator Randy HultgrenRandy Hultgren
Randall Mark "Randy" Hultgren is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party.Hultgren previously represented the 48th district Senate seat in the Illinois General Assembly from 2007 - 2011...
and Green Party nominee Daniel Kairis. Despite winning the endorsements from the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
and The Daily Herald, Foster failed in his reelection bid, conceding to Hultgren.
2012
In May 2011, Foster announced plans to run for Congress in the 11th District, which encompasses AuroraAurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
, Joliet
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet is a city in Will and Kendall Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. As of the 2010 census, the city was the fourth-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 147,433. It continues to be Illinois' fastest growing...
, Lisle
Lisle, Illinois
Lisle is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,930 at the 2011 census, and estimated to be 23,135 as of 2008. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor...
and Naperville. It also includes roughly a quarter of his old district.
Foster didn't live in the district at the time, though his then-home in Batavia
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
was only a short distance from the new 11th. He is likely to face 13th District Republican congresswoman Judy Biggert
Judy Biggert
Judith Borg "Judy" Biggert is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. She is a member of the Republican Party.-Early life, education and career:...
. Although Biggert represents about half of the new 11th, it is believed to be significantly more Democratic than her current district.
Personal life
Foster and his wife live in Naperville, IllinoisNaperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
. They have two adult children. Foster has lived and worked in northern Illinois (Naperville
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville is a city in DuPage and Will Counties in Illinois in the United States, voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money Magazine in 2006. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 141,853. It is the fifth largest city in the state, behind Chicago,...
, Geneva
Geneva, Illinois
Geneva is the county seat of Kane County, Illinois. It is located on the western fringe of the Chicago suburbs. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 26,652. Geneva is part of a tri-city area, along with St. Charles and Batavia...
, Batavia
Batavia, Illinois
Batavia was founded in 1833, and is the oldest city in Kane County, Illinois, with a small portion in DuPage County. During the Industrial Revolution, Batavia became known as ‘The Windmill City’ for being the largest windmill producer of the time...
, and St. Charles
St. Charles, Illinois
St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs...
) since 1984.
External links
- Foster for U.S. Congress official campaign site
- IEEE-G. William Foster academic journal papers