Marcus Foster

150
Marcus Foster bigraphy, stories - Educator murdered by the Symbionese Liberation Army

Marcus Foster : biography

March 31, 1923 – November 6, 1973

Marcus Albert Foster (March 31, 1923 – November 6, 1973) was an 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. Foster was murdered in 1973 by members of the Symbionese Liberation Army.

Career

From 1957 to 1970 he taught, was a school principal and associate superintendent for community relations. He moved to Oakland in 1970.

Early life and education

He was born in Athens, Georgia, later attending public schools in Philadelphia. He graduated from Cheyney State College and earned a doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania.

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 packed with 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., Time, 19 November 1973. Accessed 14 January 2007 SLA leader Donald DeFreeze is suspected of being the other person present who shot Blackburn.

Foster is buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland. He was survived by his widow, Albertine Ramseur Foster, who died in 2011 Oakland Tribune, 01 January 2011 and was buried alongside him, and his daughter, Dr Rev. Marsha Foster Boyd, President of Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

Sources

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 PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia Department of Recreation list of . 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., School District of Philadelphia, Accessed 2007-01-14

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 Oakland Education Institute was founded by Foster in 1973 to raise discretionary funds to promote excellence in Oakland schools, through the collaborative efforts of Oakland’s diverse communities. After his death, the Institute was renamed the Marcus A. Foster Education Fund in honor of Foster. In conjunction with Oakland-area business, the Fund awards 60 yearly scholarships ranging from $1000 to $2000 to Oakland high school students. Over 1,500 students have received these scholarships. The Fund also regularly awards up to $2000 to Oakland public schools teachers who develop innovative educational projects.; Accessed 2007-01-14