20 Facts About Amo Houghton

Amo Houghton served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and was a member of one of upstate New York's most prominent business and political families, the Houghtons.

Amo Houghton attended St Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire and was a member of the class of 1945.

In 1944, Amo Houghton enlisted in the United States Marine Corps for World War II.

Amo Houghton attained the rank of private first class, and was discharged in 1946.

Amo Houghton graduated from Harvard University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1950 and received his Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard in 1952.

Amo Houghton joined the company in 1951, and worked as an accountant, process engineer, manufacturing foreman, and sales manager.

Amo Houghton joined the board of directors in 1955, became a vice president in 1957, and was appointed president in 1961.

From 1964 to 1983, Amo Houghton served as Corning's chairman and chief executive officer.

In 1986, Amo Houghton was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican.

Amo Houghton had a moderate voting record and was founder of the Republican Main Street Partnership, which he formed to encourage a more moderate stance to public issues.

Amo Houghton was frequently called upon to serve as a broker between Democratic and Republican members on critical issues since he was a champion for improving civility between political parties.

Amo Houghton served on the International Relations and Ways and Means Committees.

Amo Houghton was one of four Republicans to vote against all the impeachment articles against President Clinton in 1998.

In 2001, Amo Houghton was one of only three Republicans to vote against permanently repealing the estate tax.

Amo Houghton was one of only three Republicans to vote against an initial version of the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003, the second of the two major Bush tax cuts.

Amo Houghton clashed occasionally with the increasingly Southern, socially conservative orientation of the party.

For example, Amo Houghton was one of the most vocal pro-choice Republicans in Congress.

Amo Houghton was a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.

In 1950, Amo Houghton married Ruth Frances West of Waccabuc, New York.

Amo Houghton served as a trustee of Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which later merged into Episcopal Divinity School.