- Marcus Foster
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Marcus Albert Foster Born March 31, 1923
Athens, GeorgiaDied November 6, 1973 (aged 50)
Oakland, CaliforniaCause of death Murdered Resting place Mountain View Cemetery Ethnicity African-American Citizenship American Alma mater B.A., Cheyney State College, 1947
Ph.D, University of Pennsylvania, 1971Occupation Educator Years active 1957–1973 Employer Oakland Unified School District Known for Oakland's first African-American Superintendent;
founded Marcus A. Foster Educational Institute;
assassinated by SLAHome town Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Title Superintendent Term 1970–1973 Successor Robert Blackburn Spouse Albertine Ramseur Foster Children 1 Marcus Albert Foster (March 31, 1923 – November 6, 1973) was a respected African-American educator who gained a national reputation for educational excellence while serving as principal of Simon Gratz High School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as Associate Superintendent of Schools in Philadelphia, and as the first black Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California.[1]
Contents
Early life and education
He was born in Athens, Georgia, later attending public schools in Philadelphia.[1] He graduated from Cheyney State College and earned a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.[1]
Career
From 1957 to 1970 he taught, was a school principal and associate superintendent for community relations.[1] He moved to Oakland in 1970.[1]
Murder
Foster was murdered in 1973 by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army. The SLA claimed they killed Foster because of his alleged support of a plan to create a student identification card system in Oakland that proponents claimed would help keep non-student drug-dealers off campus. In reality, Foster had opposed the identification cards and had worked to water down the plan. The SLA also objected to police officers in the schools, but again they were mistaken as to Foster's position; Foster had stated that he would not allow police officers in the schools. Foster was shot eight times with bullets that had been dipped in cyanide. His deputy, Robert Blackburn, was also shot, but survived. Joseph Remiro and Russ Little were sentenced to life in prison for their role in the attack. Little was later released on appeal.[2] SLA leader Donald DeFreeze is suspected of being the other person present who shot Blackburn.[3]
Foster is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. He is survived by his widow, Albertine Ramseur Foster, and his daughter, Rev. Marsha Foster Boyd, PhD, President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.[4]
Honours and tributes
Before his death, Foster received a highly prestigious award for the person who had done the most for Philadelphia. After his death, several sites were named in his honor, including the athletic fields at Gratz High School, the Student Union building at Cheyney University, and the Marcus Foster Indoor Pool in Philadelphia[5] featured in the movie Pride. The School District of Philadelphia established the Marcus A. Foster Award, which is given annually to a School District administrator for noteworthy contributions in curriculum, instruction, school improvement or administration.[6]
The Oakland portion of the state-mandated program to retrofit all schools for earthquake safety in the 1970s, during which dozens of schools were either retrofitted or demolished and rebuilt, was named the Marcus Foster Earthquake Safe program.
The Marcus A. Foster Educational Institute was founded by and later renamed in honor of Foster. In conjunction with Oakland-area business, the Institute awards 60 yearly scholarships ranging from $1000 to $2000 to Oakland high school students. Over 1,500 students have received these scholarships. The institute also regularly awards up to $2000 to Oakland public schools teachers who develop innovative educational projects.[7]
References
- ^ a b c d e Ohles, Frederik; Shirley M. Ohles, John G. Ramsay (1997). Biographical Dictionary of Modern American Educators. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. pp. 432. ISBN 0313291330. OCLC 36430647. http://books.google.com/books?id=PBj5-zHEMvoC&lpg=PA116&dq=%22marcus%20a%20foster%22%20%22March%2031%2C%201923%22&pg=PA116#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
- ^ "Murder in California", Time, 19 November 1973. Accessed 14 January 2007
- ^ Taylor, Michael (November 14, 2002). "Forgotten Footnote: Before Hearst, SLA killed educator". San Francisco Chronicle: pp. A-17. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/11/14/BA85190.DTL&hw=Marcus+Foster&sn=001&sc=1000. Retrieved 2009-03-17.
- ^ Ecumenical Theological Seminary
- ^ Philadelphia Department of Recreation list of pool locations.
- ^ "21st Annual Celebration of Excellence in Education", School District of Philadelphia, Accessed 2007-01-14
- ^ Marcus A. Foster Educational Institute - Our Programs; Accessed 2007-01-14 Archived December 11, 2006 at the Wayback Machine
Sources
External links
Symbionese Liberation Army Founding members 
Later members Victims Marcus Foster · Myrna OpsahlCategories:- 1923 births
- 1973 deaths
- 1973 murders in the United States
- African American educators
- American murder victims
- Murdered educators
- People from Athens, Georgia
- People from Oakland, California
- People from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- American school superintendents
- People murdered in California
- Deaths by firearm in California
- Murdered African-American people
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