1. Marcus Albert Foster was an 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 a large city school district.
Marcus Foster was appointed in 1970 as Superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District in Oakland, California.
Marcus Albert Foster was born in Athens, Georgia, the youngest of five children.
Marcus Foster graduated in 1947 from Cheyney State College, a historically black university.
From 1957 to 1970 Marcus Foster taught in the Philadelphia public schools, and served as principal of Dunbar Elementary School, OV.
Marcus Foster was noted for his work at Gratz, where he was more successful than predecessors in inspiring the students.
Marcus Foster moved to Oakland in 1970 when he was appointed Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools.
Marcus Foster was one of the first black superintendents of any major urban school system.
Marcus Foster became highly respected in Oakland, negotiating in a volatile environment with numerous groups and people of various political orientations.
Marcus Foster worked to raise the success of students in the minority-majority schools, where many families struggled with poverty.
Marcus Foster worked with the groups they represented and within the environment of a state governed by conservative Republican Ronald Reagan.
Marcus Foster was shot dead on November 6,1973, and his deputy Robert Blackburn was wounded, as they left a school board meeting.
The proposed program was intended to reduce vagrancy and keep non-student drug-dealers off campus, and Marcus Foster had already gained support from the board to modify it to meet community concerns.
Marcus Foster was shot eight times with hollow-point bullets that had been packed with cyanide, a detail that the police did not initially publicize so it could be used as a calling card if necessary.
Marcus Foster received the prestigious Philadelphia Award in 1969, which recognizes individuals who have made positive contributions to the city of Philadelphia.
In 1973 Marcus Foster had founded the Oakland Education Institute, to raise discretionary funds to promote excellence in Oakland schools through the collaborative efforts of Oakland's diverse communities.