A member of the Kansas Public Utilities Commission since 1913, Charles F. Foley is a lawyer by profession, began practice thirty years ago at Lyons, and is a resident of that city. His duties, however, require his presence in Topeka much of the time.
A native of Canada, educated in that country and at Boston, Massachusetts, he came at the age of twenty to Kansas in 1880 and by teaching school in the eastern section of the state earned enongh to defray his expenses at the University of Kansas. He was gradnated from the law department in 1884, then continued teaching two years more, and in 1887 began the practice of law at Lyons. In addition to building up a good practice he served as county attorney four years. Mr. Foley is a democrat, a member of the Masonic order and the Knights of Pythias, and is married and had one daughter.
His larger public record began with his election to the State Legislature in 1896, and by re-election he served during the session of 1897-98-99. In 1909 Governor Stubbs appointed him regent of the University of Kansas, and four years later he was reappointed by Governor Hodges and served until July, 1913. On December 8, 1913, he was appointed by Governor Hodges a member of the Public Utilities Commission, and served as its chairman until April 1, 1915. In February, 1915, he had been reappointed by Governor Capper, and on the expiration of his short term in January, 1916, Governor Capper reappointed him for the full term of three years.