Background
He was born in 1906 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, where his father was a city editor at the Saint Joseph Gazette.
He was born in 1906 in Saint Joseph, Missouri, where his father was a city editor at the Saint Joseph Gazette.
He performed odd jobs for the newspaper as a boy, and began his career with Scripps-Howard at the age of 15, writing sports articles for the Cleveland Press. When Scripps-Howard bought the Rocky Mountain News in 1926, Foster was transferred to Denver, where he worked for the News as a reporter, feature writer, and book reviewer. Three years later, he was transferred to the New York Telegram, where he worked as the radio editors
In 1931 he was promoted to assistant city editors
He contracted tuberculosis in 1933, and was unable to resume his career until 1937, when he became a feature writer for the New York World-Telegram. He was later promoted to assistant executive editors
In 1940 the couple moved to Denver, where Foster assumed the reins of the Rocky Mountain News as editor and chief executive officer At that time, the News faced stiff competition from its rival Denver newspaper, the Denver Post, and was in danger of losing the fight.
In 1942 Foster made a bold move to save the dying paper.
After convincing the president of Scripps-Howard, Roy West. Howard, of the soundness of the plan, Foster changed the format of the paper from the traditional broadside to a tabloid, magazine-style format. The new format debuted on April 13, 1942, and is largely credited with saving the paper. At the same time, Foster introduced another novel idea, the advice column.
The Molly Mayfield column was the first advice column of its kind, pre-dating Ann Landers and Dear Abby.
Foster"s wife Frances penned the column under the pseudonym. Instantly popular with the airmen at Lowry Field, it soon gained a city-wide readership, followed by everyone from housewives to university professors.
Foster had a long and illustrious career at the News. He was well-regarded in the newspaper business, influential in the Denver area and well known in political circles.
Under his guidance, the News moved from a paper on the brink of closing to one with the largest circulation of any Scripps-Howard newspaper.
Foster retired from the Rocky Mountain News at the end of 1970.