Changes

|resting_place=Franklin Cemetery

|resting_place=Franklin Cemetery

|spouse=(1) Divorced

|spouse=(1) Divorced

(2) Alice C. Foster<br>(married 1995-2020, his death)

(2) Alice Cosner West Foster<br>(married 1980-2020, his death)

|children=From first marriage:<br>

|children=From first marriage by unidentified spouse:<br>

Murphy Foster, III<br>

Murphy Foster, III<br>

Ramelle Foster<br>

Ramelle Foster<br>

|profession=[[Business]]man; rancher<br>

|profession=[[Business]]man; rancher<br>

|branch=[[United States Air Force]]

|branch=[[United States Air Force]]

|wars=[[Korean War]]

|battles=[[Korean War]]

|service_dates=1952-1956

|serviceyears=1952-1956

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1995)

|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]-turned-[[Republican Party|Republican]] (1995)

|religion=[[Episcopalian]]

|religion=[[Episcopalian]]

==Background==

==Background==

Foster resided at his family's Oaklawn Manor sugar plantation near Franklin in St. Mary Parish in the southern portion of his state. Foster's grandfather, Murphy, Sr. (1849-1921), was a Louisiana governor and [[U.S. Senator]] from Louisiana; technically Murphy Foster, III, he used the Roman numeral "II" because his grandfather died nine years before Foster was born.  

Foster resided at his family's Oaklawn Manor sugar plantation near Franklin in St. Mary Parish in the southern portion of his state. Foster's grandfather, Murphy, Sr. (1849-1921), was a Louisiana governor and [[U.S. Senator]] from Louisiana; technically Murphy Foster, III, he used the Roman numeral "II" because his grandfather died nine years before Foster was born.  

After his divorce, he married Alice C. Foster, formerly Alice West from her first marriage (November 6, 1940 &ndash; March 6, 2025). She was a native of Portsmouth, [[Virginia]]. As First Lady of Louisina, she Project Clean-Up (The Governor's state-wide Litter Eradication program),Breast Cancer Awareness programs, the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, of which she served as the 1996, 1997, and 1998 campaign spokesperson. She was the author of an educational children's book, ''You Are Sunshine.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obituaries.theadvocate.com/obituary/alice-foster-1092744060|title=Alice Foster obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate|date=March 8, 2025}}</ref>

After a divorce from an unnamed first wife, he married Alice Cosner Foster, formerly Alice West from her first marriage (November 6, 1940 &ndash; March 6, 2025). A native of Portsmouth, [[Virginia]], she was a daughter of Hubert and Vira Surles Cosner.

[[File:Alice Foster of LA.jpg|200px|left|thumb|Alice Cosner Foster was the First Lady of Louisiana from 1996 to 2004.]]

As the First Lady of Louisiana, she was involved in Project Clean-Up (The Governor's state-wide Litter Eradication program), Breast Cancer Awareness programs, the United States Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, of which she served as the 1996, 1997, and 1998 campaign spokesperson. She was the author of an educational children's book, ''You Are Sunshine.''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://obituaries.theadvocate.com/obituary/alice-foster-1092744060|title=Alice Foster obituary|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate|date=March 8, 2025}}</ref>

==Career==

==Political career==

Though he was unknown statewide at the beginning of the gubernatorial race, Foster prevailed to become the final successor to Democrat [[Edwin Edwards]] by defeating an array of opponents, including future U.S. Senator [[Mary Landrieu]], former Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], and [[African-American]] Cleo Fields, a current U.S. representative and a former state senator. [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman, endorsed Foster in the gubernatorial race; as it turned out Foster had paid from his personal funds $150,000 to Duke for the use of Duke's mailing list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://domino.ethics.state.la.us/campopn.nsf/999d109733135c25862567f8006847bf/8f58d9e4d672366e86256848006b83df?OpenDocument&Highlight=0|title=Foster, Duke La. Campaign Finance Opinion No. 99-360|publisher=domino.ethics.state.la.us|accessdate=October 4, 2017}}</ref> Term-limited in 2004, he was succeeded by the Democrat [[Kathleen Blanco]] of [[Lafayette]], who defeated Foster's preferred successor, Republican [[Bobby Jindal]], who subsequently won the 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary to succeed Blanco.

Though he was unknown statewide at the beginning of the gubernatorial race, Foster prevailed to become the final successor to Democrat [[Edwin Edwards]] by defeating an array of opponents, including future U.S. Senator [[Mary Landrieu]], former Governor [[Buddy Roemer]], and [[African-American]] Cleo Fields, a current U.S. representative and a former state senator. [[David Duke]], the former [[Ku Klux Klan]]sman, endorsed Foster in the gubernatorial race; as it turned out Foster had paid from his personal funds $150,000 to Duke for the use of Duke's mailing list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://domino.ethics.state.la.us/campopn.nsf/999d109733135c25862567f8006847bf/8f58d9e4d672366e86256848006b83df?OpenDocument&Highlight=0|title=Foster, Duke La. Campaign Finance Opinion No. 99-360|publisher=domino.ethics.state.la.us|accessdate=October 4, 2017}}</ref> Term-limited in 2004, he was succeeded by the Democrat [[Kathleen Blanco]] of [[Lafayette]], who defeated Foster's preferred successor, Republican [[Bobby Jindal]], who subsequently won the 2007 nonpartisan blanket primary to succeed Blanco.

In September 2020, Foster at the age of ninety, entered [[hospice]] care.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_05f0b3b4-01d6-11eb-8c43-0bbe57f5600b.html

In September 2020, Foster at the age of ninety, entered [[hospice]] care.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_05f0b3b4-01d6-11eb-8c43-0bbe57f5600b.html

|title=Former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster is in hospice care; [[John Bel Edwards]] asks for prayers|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=September 28, 2020|accessdate=September 29, 2020}}</ref> He died a few days later at the age of ninety. After a private ceremony at Oaklawn Manor, he was interred at Franklin Cemetery. Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]] was the only speaker at the burial.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_dfc918ca-08e7-11eb-8c27-ef7aa92fc2f8.html|title='Exactly the kind of funeral he would have wanted,' Former Gov. Mike Foster is buried in Franklin|author=Tyler Bridges|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=October 7, 2020|accessdate=October 8, 2020}}</ref>  

|title=Former Louisiana Governor Mike Foster is in hospice care; [[John Bel Edwards]] asks for prayers|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=September 28, 2020|accessdate=September 29, 2020}}</ref> He died a few days later at the age of ninety. After a private ceremony at Oaklawn Manor, he was interred at Franklin Cemetery. Democratic Governor [[John Bel Edwards]] was the only speaker at the burial.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/article_dfc918ca-08e7-11eb-8c27-ef7aa92fc2f8.html|title='Exactly the kind of funeral he would have wanted,' Former Gov. Mike Foster is buried in Franklin|author=Tyler Bridges|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=October 7, 2020|accessdate=October 8, 2020}}</ref>

==References==

==References==