Jim Ross Lightfoot
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jim Ross Lightfoot | |
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| In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Harkin |
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| Succeeded by | Leonard Boswell |
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| Born | September 27, 1938 Sioux City, Iowa |
| Political party | Republican |
James Ross "Jim" Lightfoot has been a police officer, IBM Customer Engineer, award winning broadcaster and former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa.
Lightfoot was born in Sioux City, Iowa on September 27, 1938 and was raised on a farm near Farragut, Iowa, where he graduated from high school in 1956.(http://www.admirals-56.com/) Lightfoot served eight years in the United States Army and Army Reserve. His adult work career started working for IBM as a Customer Engineer finally being transferred to Tulsa, Oklahoma. He then worked for the Tulsa Police Department as a police officer.
Returning to his native Iowa in the early 1960s, Lightfoot became an award winning broadcaster on KMA Radio, the flagship station of May Broadcasting Company.(http://kma960.com/) While at KMA he and his wife (the former Nancy Harrison of Corsicana, TX) founded three retail stores in southwest Iowa. Lightfoot was also well known as a rodeo announcer and sought after speaker for various organizations’ events. (http://publications.iowa.gov/archive/00000135/01/federal/5-5.html)
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984 and served there for six terms. During that time, he served as chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee, which funds the Treasury Department, Postal Service, White House and other federal agencies. Lightfoot also spent eight years on the House Aviation Subcommittee, and dealt with many transportation issues. In addition, he holds commercial pilot and flight instructor ratings, allowing him several perspectives of the aviation industry. (http://www.nndb.com/people/275/000129885/)
In 1996 (conforming to a promise to only serve twelve years in Congress as he is a firm believer in term limits) he left his seat to run for the United States Senate against Democratic incumbent, Tom Harkin. His entry into the race came very late in the election cycle (March). Lightfoot had no money while Mr. Harkin had over $6 million in his campaign coffers. Mr. Harkin narrowly won that race, but only with the help of a pre-election blitz by President Bill Clinton.
In 1998, at the request of the Republican Party, he ran against then state senator Tom Vilsack for Governor of Iowa, a race that Mr. Vilsack won.
December 1998 Lightfoot joined Forensic Technology Inc. as Vice President. A high-tech forensic analysis company, headquartered in Montreal, Canada with offices around the world (http://forensictechnologyinc.com). FTI developed an image analysis system for analyzing and identifying spent bullets, and a system with the ability to capture, store, retrieve and perform searches on both damaged or pristine bullet and cartridge case recovered from crime scenes. FTI technology is the backbone of the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) ( http://www.nibin.gov). Lightfoot also serves on the company's Board of Directors.
Lightfoot is senior policy advisor, Federal Government Relations, with the Washington, D.C., office of Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC.( http://www.bipc.com) He is a non-attorney professional in the firm's Federal Government Relations Section.
Lightfoot’s personal and professional awards include the Oscar in Agriculture Award, Jason Award, AOPA Hartranft Award, FAA Excellence Award, Honorary ATF Agent, Top Cops Award and Secret Service Director's Award. Active in his community, he serves on the board of directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which helps recover missing children and raise public awareness about preventing child exploitation.(http://www.missingkids.com/) NCMEC named Lightfoot Emeritus Director in 2006.
Lightfoot and wife Nancy reside in White Oak, Texas.
Other sources of validating information:
(http://www.ccrkba.org/defender1996.htm)
(http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/liggett-linblad.html)
(http://www.brainyhistory.com/events/1939/september_27_1939_97795.html)
(http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/congress/archive/concom95/house/happro.txt)
(http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/congress/archive/concom93/house/appropriations.txt)
(http://www.infoplease.com/biography/us/congress/lightfoot-james-ross.html)
(http://www.ctufty.com/kcau-woi/)
(http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=L000305)
| Preceded by Tom Harkin |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 5th congressional district 1985–1993 |
Succeeded by Fred Grandy |
| Preceded by David R. Nagle |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa's 3rd congressional district 1993–1997 |
Succeeded by Leonard L. Boswell |
