Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 04.djvu/180

 FOSTER

FOSTER

FOSTER, Randolph Sinks, ME. bishop, was boru iu Williaiasbuif;, Ohio, Feb. 23, 1830; son of Randolph Isi-ael and Mary Iv. Foster. He attended Augusta college, Ky. , 1835-37, and joined the itinerant ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church in the latter year. Later in the same year he was transferred from the Ken- tucky to the Ohio conference, and imtil ISoO held various pastorates in the latter state. In that year he was transferred to the New York confer- ence ami until IS.jT preached in New York city and Brooklyn. He was president of Northwest- ern university, Evanston, 111., 18.")~-C0, returning to the ministry in the la tter yeai'. He accepted the chair of systematic theologj' in Drew theo- logical seminary, Madison, N. J., in 1868, and two years later became president of the institution, still continuing his professorship. He was elected a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1873, and siibsequentlj^ travelled through western Europe, India and South Amer- ica in the interest of his denomination. In 1873 he removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, and in 1876 to Boston, Mass. He was a member of the general conferences of 1864, 1868 and 1873; fraternal delegate to the British Wesleyan conference of 1868; a member of the Methodist centennial conference of 1884, and of the Methodist Ecu- menical conference of 1891. He was maiTied in 184J to Sarah, daughter of John and Anne Miley of Butler county, Ohio. Ohio Wesleyan imiver- sity conferred upon him the degi'ee of D.D. iu 18."j3 and that of LL.D. in 18.58. He published: Ohji'Cti'jns to Calvinism as it is (1848); Christian Purity (1851, rev. ed., 1869); Ministry for the 7'imes (1853); Theism in the Inijham Lectures (1872); Beyond the Grave (1879); Centenary Tlionijhts for the Piiipit and Pew of 3Iethodism (1884); Studies in Tlieology ; Prolegomena, The Siipei-natural Book, and llieismlfi vols., 1889); Phi- losox)hii of Christian Experience {\8'-M); The Viiiim ofEpiscopa!jretholo(iii (Vol. IV.. \>^'.)r,): God : Xaturcaud AttribiitcsdSdS). He died iu Newton Centre, Mass., May 1, 1903.

FOSTER, Robert Verrell, educator, was born in Wilson county, Tenn., Aug. 12, 1845; son of Rufus Harrison and Sarah (Spain) Foster, and of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was graduated from Cumberland university, Lebanon, Tenn., in 1870, studied in the theological department, 1875-76, and was graduated from the Union theological seminary. New York, in 1877. In April, 1879, lie was ordained by the Lebanon presbj'tery of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. He occupied the chair of Hebrew and biblical theology in the Cumberland University theological school, 1877, and accepted that of systematic theology in 1893, at the same time doing editorial work in the Cumberland Presbyterian publishing house at

Nashville and holding a professorship in the Leb- anon college for young ladies. He received the degree of D.D. from Trinity university, Texas, in 1884. He published: Introduction to the Study of Tlieology (1889) ; Old Testament Studies, an Outline of Old Testament I'heoloyy (1890); A Commentary on the Epistle to the nmnniis (1891) ; and an exten- sive treatise on ,S:isliviiilii- Tlieology.

FOSTER, Stephen Collins, balladist, was born in Pittsburg, Pa., July 4, 1830. He attended the public schools at Towanda and Athens, Pa., and Jefferson academy, Canonsburg, Pa., but re- ceive<l the greater part of his instruction from private tutors, devoting much time to the French and German languages, water-color painting, and music. In 1843, while he was a clerk in a store iu Cincinnati, Ohio, his first ballad, " Open thy Lattice, Love," was published in Baltimore, Md. His next composition was "Uncle Ned," for which he received no remuneration. " O Su- sanna! " soon followed and for this he was paid $100 in cash. These songs became so popular that he gave up mercantile life to devote his time to ballad composition. He publislied " Old Folks at Home " about 1850, and received S500 from Christ3'"s minstrels for the privilege of singing it in public, and copyright from the publishers amounting to !515,000. He composed both the words and music of about 125 ballads, several of which were translated and sung in foreign coun-

tries. The accompanying illustration shows the Old Rowan homestead near Bardstown, Ky., the original "Old Kentucky Home" in which he composed the song. His compositions include: Old Black Joe ; Way Down South ; Louisiana Belle ; Nellie Was a Lady; Xelly Bly ; Old Dog Tray; Willie, we have 3Iissed You ; and Come where my Love lies Dreaming. He died in New York city, Jan. 13, 1S64.

FOSTER, Stephen Symonds, abolitionist, was born in Canterbury, N.H., Nov. 17, 1809. He attended the district school, learned the trade of