Murphy J. Foster, Jr.
| Murphy J. Foster Jr. | |
|---|---|
Governor Mike Foster at a meeting
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|
| 53rd Governor of Louisiana | |
|
In office January 8, 1996 – January 12, 2004 |
|
| Lieutenant | Kathleen Blanco |
| Preceded by | Edwin Edwards |
| Succeeded by | Kathleen Blanco |
| Member of the Louisiana Senate from the 21st district |
|
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In office 1988–1996 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony Guarisco Jr. |
| Succeeded by | John Siracusa |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Murphy James Foster III July 11, 1930 Franklin, St. Mary Parish Louisiana, USA |
| Political party |
Democratic (before 1995) Republican (since 1995) |
| Spouse(s) | Alice C. Foster |
| Relations |
Murphy J. Foster Sr. (paternal grandfather) |
| Parents | Murphy J. and Olive Roberts Foster |
| Residence | Franklin, Louisiana |
| Alma mater | Southern University Law School |
| Profession | Rancher; businessman |
| Religion | Episcopalian |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Air ForceUnited States Air Force Reserve |
| Years of service | 1952-1956 |
| Rank | Captain |
| Battles/wars | Korean War |
Murphy J. Foster Sr. (paternal grandfather)
Robert Roberts Jr. (maternal grandfather)
Captain Alfred Goodwill (maternal great-grandfather)
Murphy James "Mike" Foster Jr. (born July 11, 1930) served as the 53rd governor of Louisiana from January 1996 until January 2004. Foster's father was Murphy J. Foster Jr., but Mike Foster uses "Jr." even though he is technically Murphy J. Foster III. Foster is a businessman, landowner, and sportsman in St. Mary Parish in the sugar-growing section of the southern portion of the state.
Mike Foster was born in Franklin, the seat of government of St. Mary Parish. His father, also named Murphy J. Foster, was an area sugar planter and owner of oil and natural gas lands; his mother, Olive Roberts (1904-1990), was descended from a prominent family in Minden in Webster Parish and Shreveport in Caddo Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Foster's maternal great-grandfather, Captain Alfred Goodwill (1830-1905), was a native of England and a captain in the Confederate Army. Captain Goodwill opened an 18,000-square foot general store in Minden, a "superstore" believed at the time to be the largest such enterprise in the state, from which one could even purchase a casket and embalming fluid. The Goodwill Road in Minden is named in his honor. Captain Goodwill and his five children from his first marriage moved to Minden in 1873 from neighboring Claiborne Parish with his newly acquired second wife, the former Ida Victoria Hill (1838-1937). One of the three children of Captain Goodwill and his second wife Ida, was Olive Goodwill (born c. 1875). She married Robert Roberts Jr., a former mayor of both Farmerville in Union Parish and Minden, a state representative for Webster Parish, a state district court judge, and an attorney in private practice in Shreveport. Their daughter, Olive Roberts, subsequently married Murphy James Foster, the son of Governor Murphy J. Foster Sr., and the father of subsequent Governor Mike Foster. One of Foster's cousins, Jasper Goodwill, was the mayor of Minden from 1955 to 1958.
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Wikipedia