Mary Azcuenaga
{{Short description|American attorney}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Mary Laurie Azcuenaga
| office = Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission
| term_start = November 27, 1984
| predecessor = Michael Pertschuk
| president = Ronald Reagan
George H. W. Bush
Bill Clinton
| party = Independent
| education = Stanford University (A.B.)
University of Chicago Law School (J.D.)
| termend = June 3, 1998
| birth_name =
| birth_place = Council, Idaho
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|07|25}}
| successor = Thomas B. Leary
}}
Mary Laurie Azcuenaga{{Cite book|url=https://searchworks.stanford.edu/view/2713031|title=Nomination of Mary L. Azcuenaga to be a Federal Trade commissioner: hearing before the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, United States Senate, One Hundred Second Congress, first session, October 29, 1991|date=1992|publisher=U.S. G.P.O. : For sale by the U.S. G.P.O., Supt. of Docs., Congressional Sales Office|isbn=978-0-16-037809-6|editor-last=United States|series=S. hrg|location=Washington}} (born July 25, 1945) is an American attorney who served from 1984 to 1998 as a member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).{{Cite web|date=1998-03-26|title=FTC Commissioner Mary L. Azcuenaga To Resign|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1998/03/ftc-commissioner-mary-l-azcuenaga-resign|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Federal Trade Commission|language=en}} As of 2017, Azcuenaga is one of just three political independents to serve on the FTC.{{Cite web|title=Independent commissioners have shaped key FTC decisions - FTCWatch|url=https://www.mlexwatch.com/articles/2697/print?section=ftcwatch|access-date=2021-09-11|website=www.mlexwatch.com}}
Early life and career
Born to a family of Basque-American descent,{{Cite news|last=Isikoff|first=Michael|date=1984-07-31|title=THE FTC|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/07/31/the-ftc/64e885c4-78ca-4ebe-96e4-1dd779e9b557/|access-date=2021-09-11|issn=0190-8286}} Azcuenaga was born on July 25, 1945, in Council, Idaho. Azcuenaga received her undergraduate degree from Stanford University, graduating with a bachelor's degree (A.B.) in 1967.
In 1973, she graduated from the University of Chicago Law School with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Azcuenaga began her career within the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), joining the agency as an assistant to the General Counsel in 1975.{{Cite web|title=Nomination of Mary L. Azcuenaga To Be a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission {{!}} The American Presidency Project|url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/nomination-mary-l-azcuenaga-be-commissioner-the-federal-trade-commission|access-date=2021-09-11|website=www.presidency.ucsb.edu}}
Member of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Azcuenaga remained in various legal roles within the FTC until 1984, when she was appointed to serve as a commissioner by President Ronald Reagan. Azcuenaga was sworn into the body on November 27, 1984, to a term ending on September 25, 1991,{{Cite web|date=1998-03-26|title=FTC Commissioner Mary L. Azcuenaga To Resign|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1998/03/ftc-commissioner-mary-l-azcuenaga-resign|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Federal Trade Commission|language=en}} replacing former commissioner Michael Pertschuk.{{Cite web|title=Reagan expected to name woman to replace FTC's Pertschuk|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/08/14/Reagan-expected-to-name-woman-to-replace-FTCs-Pertschuk/9862461304000/|access-date=2021-09-11|website=UPI|language=en}}
The Washington Post reported on her nomination by noting that as a political independent, she was seen as less conservative than the FTC's two Republican appointees. Additionally, it was noted that Azcuenaga was seen as a strong nominee owing to her being a woman of Hispanic background. However, the article noted that Azcuenaga "doesn't believe in using the Hispanic label for political advantage", with Azcuenaga herself stating "I've been told I count as a Hispanic... I'm proud of my Basque heritage."{{Cite news|last=Isikoff|first=Michael|date=1984-07-31|title=THE FTC|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1984/07/31/the-ftc/64e885c4-78ca-4ebe-96e4-1dd779e9b557/|access-date=2021-09-11|issn=0190-8286}}
In 1991, she was re-appointed to a second term in office by President George H. W. Bush in 1991. Azcuenaga remained on the FTC until June 3, 1998, when she chose to resign months before her second term was set to expire.{{Cite web|date=1998-03-26|title=FTC Commissioner Mary L. Azcuenaga To Resign|url=https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/1998/03/ftc-commissioner-mary-l-azcuenaga-resign|access-date=2021-09-11|website=Federal Trade Commission|language=en}} During her tenure, Azcuenaga joined a majority in opposition to taking action against cigarette brand Camel over its "Joe Camel" cartoon mascot. In a joint statement, Azcuenaga argued:
"Although it may seem intuitive to some that the Joe Camel advertising campaign would lead more children to smoke, or lead children to smoke more, the evidence to support that intuition is not there."{{Cite news|last=Elliott|first=Stuart|date=1994-06-08|title=The F.T.C. Explains Its Joe Camel Decision|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/08/business/the-ftc-explains-its-joe-camel-decision.html|access-date=2021-09-11|issn=0362-4331}}Azcuenaga was replaced on the FTC in 1999 by antitrust attorney Thomas B. Leary, a member of the Republican Party.{{Cite news |date=1999-05-14 |title=Lawyer Is Nominated for F.T.C. Position |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/14/business/lawyer-is-nominated-for-ftc-position.html |access-date=2021-09-11 |issn=0362-4331}} As of 2017, Azcuenaga is one of just three independents to have served on the FTC, along with Philip Elman (who served from 1961 to 1970) and Pamela Jones Harbour (who served from 2003 to 2009).
References
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Category:People from Council, Idaho
Category:Federal Trade Commission personnel
Category:Federal Trade Commission
Category:Basque-American history