John W. Foster
| John W. Foster | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 32nd United States Secretary of State | |
|
In office June 29, 1892 – February 23, 1893 |
|
| President | Benjamin Harrison |
| Preceded by | James G. Blaine |
| Succeeded by | Walter Q. Gresham |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
John Watson Foster March 2, 1836 Petersburg, Indiana |
| Died | November 15, 1917 (aged 81) Washington, D.C. |
| Resting place | Oak Hill Cemetery in Evansville, Indiana |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Parke McFerson Foster (1859–1917, his death) |
| Children | Edith Foster Dulles (mother of Secretary of State under Eisenhower, John Foster Dulles) Eleanor Foster Lansing (wife of Secretary of State under Woodrow Wilson, Robert Lansing). |
| Profession | Lawyer, General, Politician |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Service/branch |
United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1865 |
| Rank |
 Colonel
|
| Battles/wars | American Civil War |
John Watson Foster (March 2, 1836 – November 15, 1917) was an American diplomat and military officer, as well as a lawyer and journalist. His highest public office was U.S. Secretary of State under Benjamin Harrison, although he also proved influential as a lawyer in technically private practice in the international relations sphere.
Foster was born on March 2, 1836 in Petersburg, Indiana and raised in Evansville, Indiana. He was the son of Matthew Watson, an Indiana farmer, and the former Eleanor Foster (née Johnson). He graduated from the fledgling Indiana University in 1855, but decided not to become a preacher as his parents hoped. Instead, Foster attended and graduated from Harvard Law School, then moved to Cincinnati, Ohio to begin his legal career.
In 1861, Foster volunteered in the Union Army in the American Civil War. Initially commissioned as a major, he rose to the rank of colonel, serving with the 25th Indiana Volunteer Infantry, the 65th Indiana Volunteer Mounted Infantry and the 136th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. Foster's troops became the first to enter Knoxville, Tennessee after the successful campaign by General Ambrose Burnside.
Foster was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States - a military society of officers who had served in the Union armed forces during the Civil War.
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