Francis Rooney

L. Francis Rooney, U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican

L. Francis Rooney III (born December 4, 1953) is the current American Ambassador to the Vatican. He previously served as the CEO of Rooney Holdings (formerly known as Rooney Brothers Company), an investment and holding company based in Naples, Florida and Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Rooney is the majority owner of Manhattan Construction Company, the fourth generation of his family to own that company. Manhattan Construction built the Oklahoma State Capitol, the George Bush Presidential Library, the Cato Institute headquarters,New Orleans Sports Arena, The Ballpark at Arlington,and is building part of the new visitors’ center at the United States Capitol. They have also done extensive projects for Morehouse College, George Washington University, Oklahoma State University and the University of Georgia. The subsidiary won an estimated $100 million in Pentagon contracts in 2003, nearly four times the amount the company won in 2002, according to the Center for Public Integrity.

[edit] Activities in Central America

Rooney is a member of the Advisory Board of the Panama Canal Authority. He was among the U.S. delegation led by Colin Powell to the inauguration of Panamanian president Martín Torrijos.

Rooney is an active contributor to the Republican Party and its candidates, individually and through Rooney Holdings. Rooney was named a Bush Ranger (for his work raising money for Bush's re-election campaign) and a Super Ranger for doing the same for the Republican National Committee.

In September 2004, Rooney Holdings contributed $100,000 to Progress for America. The company was also an underwriter of the Bush 2005 Inauguration.