Theodore Foster | |
|---|---|
 | |
| United States Senator fromRhode Island | |
| In office June 12, 1790 – March 3, 1803 | |
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Samuel J. Potter |
| Member of theRhode Island House of Representatives | |
| In office 1791 1797-1803 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1752-04-29)April 29, 1752 |
| Died | January 13, 1828(1828-01-13) (aged 75) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S. |
| Resting place | Swan Point Cemetery |
| Party | Federalist |
| Relations | Dwight Foster Arthur Fenner Dwight Foster |
| Education | Brown University Dartmouth College |
Theodore Foster (April 29, 1752 – January 13, 1828) was an American lawyer and politician fromRhode Island. He was a member of theFederalist Party and later theNational Republican Party. He served as one of the first two United States senators from Rhode Island and, followingJohn Langdon, served as dean of the Senate.
Foster was born inBrookfield, Massachusetts in 1752. He engaged inclassical studies at the college in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now known asBrown University), graduating in 1770. He then studiedlaw and lived with fellow studentSolomon Drowne.[1] He was admitted to thebar association in 1771 and remained inRhode Island to practice law, beginning his law practice inProvidence. He was town clerk in Providence from 1775 to 1787.[2] He earned his master's degree fromDartmouth College in 1786.[3][4]
Foster was a protege of Brown University's first chancellor,Chief Justice of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and revolutionary patriotStephen Hopkins.[5] Foster married the sister of the future governor of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsArthur Fenner.[6]
Foster played a role in theGaspee Affair of 1772, along withJohn Brown and others, which helpedcatalyze events leading to up to theAmerican Revolutionary War. Foster distinguished himself as a staunch supporter of GeneralGeorge Washington and theFederalist cause.
Until 1790 Foster held various positions in the government of Rhode Island. He was then elected to theUnited States Senate, beginning his service on June 12, 1790. Rhode Island'sstate legislature re-elected him in 1791 and 1797, and he served until March 3, 1803, when he retired from public life to engage in writing and historical research.[7] He was elected a member of theAmerican Antiquarian Society in 1820.[8] Foster became a passionate collector of numerous documents relating to colonial Providence. He helped found theRhode Island Historical Society in 1822. Foster's heirs sold his extensive collection of historical documents to the Society in 1833. Many of these documents are unpublished.
During the latter period, Foster also served as atrustee of Brown University.[9] Foster returned to public life to serve in the Rhode Island state legislature from 1812 to 1816. He lived in the town ofFoster, Rhode Island, which was named after him.[10] When Solomon Drowne moved back to Rhode Island he lived on a farm (Mt. Hygeia) next to Foster's.
Foster died on January 13, 1828, and is interred inSwan Point Cemetery in Providence.[11]
Foster's father wasMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court JusticeJedediah Foster, who graduated fromHarvard University in 1744.[12]
Foster was the elder brother of SenatorDwight Foster of Massachusetts,[13] and the great-uncle ofMassachusetts Attorney General andMassachusetts Supreme Judicial Court JusticeDwight Foster.[14]
| U.S. Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by (none) | U.S. senator (Class 1) from Rhode Island 1790–1803 Served alongside:Joseph Stanton, Jr.,William Bradford,Ray Greene,Christopher Ellery | Succeeded by |
| Class 1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 2 | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
