A. Background Vincent W. Foster, Jr. was born on January 15, 1945, in Hope, Arkansas, where he attended the same kindergarten class as President Clinton and White House Chief of Staff Thomas McLarty. After graduating from Hope High School in 1963, Foster attended Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina, where he earned a bachelor's degree in 1967. In 1968, Foster married Elizabeth ("Lisa") Braden, with whom he had three children: Vincent, age 22; Laura, age 21; and John, age 18. In 1971, he received his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas, where he ranked first in his class. He subsequently received the highest score on the Arkansas Bar exam. In 1971, Foster joined the Rose Law Firm and, in 1973, he was made a partner. Among his partners at the firm were Hillary Rodham Clinton, Webster Hubbell and William Kennedy.
Foster remained at the firm until January 1993, when he moved to Washington, D.C., to assume the position of Deputy White House Counsel. At about the same time, Kennedy joined the Counsel's Office and Hubbell became Associate Attorney General. Foster's office at the White House was located on the second floor of the West Wing where he shared a suite with White House General Counsel Bernard Nussbaum. A few weeks after arriving he hired Deborah Gorham as his Executive Assistant.
When Foster first arrived in Washington he lived with his sister, Sheila, and her husband, Beryl Anthony. Foster's wife and children remained in Arkansas so that his son John could complete his school year. In March 1993, Foster rented a house and in early June he was joined in Washington by his wife and children.
Friends and associates who knew Foster well, uniformly described him as a man of honesty and integrity, respected for his intelligence and judgment. His professional reputation was of paramount importance to him, particularly among colleagues in Arkansas. Foster was characterized as quiet, reserved, and one who rarely showed anger or emotion. Although difficult to get close to, he could be relied upon as a trusted confidante. Colleagues within the White House described him as a calming influence during stressful periods.
Foster's family and friends said that Foster did not experience any extended period of depression prior to the spring of 1993. Although he experienced some brief episodes of depression and anxiety, these appeared to be resolved without treatment. From time to time Foster experienced what his wife described as anxiety or panic attacks, marked by heavy sweating and a strained voice. In late 1992, he told his physician in Little Rock, Dr. Larry Watkins, that he was feeling depressed and anxious. At least two of Foster's close relatives have suffered from periods of depression.