Amo Houghton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Amo Houghton
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Stan Lundine |
| Succeeded by | Randy Kuhl |
| Constituency | 34th district (1987–1993) 31st district (1993–2003) 29th district (2003–2005) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Amory Houghton Jr.
August 7, 1926 Corning, New York, U.S. |
| Died | March 4, 2020 (aged 93) Corning, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Ruth West (1950–1988) Priscilla Dewey (1989–2012) |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Amory Houghton (father) Alanson B. Houghton (grandfather) |
| Education | Harvard University (BA, MBA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Marine Corps |
| Years of service | 1944–1946 |
| Rank | Private (first class) |
| Unit | USS Macon Guantanamo Bay Naval Base |
| Battles/wars | World War II • Battle of the Caribbean |
Amory Houghton Jr. (born August 7, 1926 – died March 4, 2020) was an American Republican politician. He came from New York state. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives, which is part of the U.S. Congress. His family, the Houghtons, were well-known in business and politics in New York.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Amory Houghton Jr. was born in Corning, New York. His father was Amory Houghton, and his grandfather was Alanson B. Houghton. He went to St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire. Later, he served on the school's board.
He studied at Harvard University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1950. In 1952, he received his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard.
Military Service
In 1944, Houghton joined the United States Marine Corps. He served during World War II. He was assigned to the USS Macon (CA-132) and Guantanamo Bay Naval Base. He helped with activities related to the Battle of the Caribbean. Houghton reached the rank of private first class. He left the Marines in 1946.
Business Career
Houghton spent his career working for his family's company, Corning Glass Works. This company is now called Corning Incorporated. His great-great-grandfather founded it in 1851.
Houghton joined the company in 1951. He worked in many different roles. These included accountant, process engineer, and sales manager. In 1955, he joined the board of directors. He became a vice president in 1957. In 1961, he was made president. From 1964 to 1983, Houghton was the chairman and chief executive officer of Corning. This means he was in charge of the company.
He also served on the boards of other big companies. These included IBM, First National City Bank (now Citigroup), Procter & Gamble, Genentech, and B. F. Goodrich.
Serving in Congress
In 1986, Houghton was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He was a member of the Republican party. He was known as one of the wealthiest members of the House.
Voting Record and Approach
Houghton was known for having a moderate voting record. This means he often took a middle ground on issues. He started the Republican Main Street Partnership. This group wanted to encourage more moderate views among Republicans.
He was often asked to help solve disagreements. He worked to bring Democrats and Republicans together. He voted with Republicans on money matters. But he also voted with Democrats on things like protecting the environment. He supported civil rights and funding for arts and education.
Committees and Key Votes
Houghton served on important committees. These included the International Relations Committee. He also served on the Ways and Means Committee.
He sometimes voted differently from many in his own party.
- In 1998, he was one of only four Republicans to vote against all impeachment articles for President Clinton.
- In 2001, he was one of three Republicans to vote against permanently ending the estate tax.
- In 2002, he was one of six House Republicans who voted against allowing the invasion of Iraq.
- He voted against an early version of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003. This was a major tax cut bill. However, he voted for the final version of the bill.
Reputation in Congress
Throughout his time in Congress, Houghton was well-respected. He was usually re-elected easily. He sometimes disagreed with the Republican Party's changing views. The party was becoming more socially conservative.
Later Life and Retirement
In 2004, Houghton announced he would not seek re-election. His term ended on January 3, 2005. John R. "Randy" Kuhl took his place. Houghton was a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One. In his later years, he spoke out against Donald Trump's presidency. He said he would support efforts to remove him from office.
Amo Houghton Jr. passed away on March 4, 2020. Corning Inc. announced his death the next day.
Family
In 1950, Houghton married Ruth Frances West. They had four children: Amory, Robert, Sarah, and Quincy. They divorced in 1988. In 1989, Houghton married Priscilla B. Dewey. She passed away in 2012.
See also
- List of richest American politicians
