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Draft:Lemuel L. Foster

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Lemuel L. Foster Sr. (1891–1981), was an American singer, civil servant, business executive, race relations consultant, and deacon. He worked as an executive of R. H. Macy & Company (now Macy's), as well as work as a supervisor in the Division of Negro Economics at the United States Department of Labor.[1]

Early life and education

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Lemuel L. Foster was born in 1891, in Meridian, Mississippi.[1] He attended Tougaloo College, a private historically Black college in Jackson, Mississippi.[2] Three of his siblings also attended Tougaloo College.[2] Foster also attended Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee[3] where in the 1910s he was a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers, an African-American a cappella ensemble consisting of Fisk University students.[4][5][6]

Career

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He worked at Kowaliga Industrial School in Kowaliga, Alabama for a year.[2] From December 1918 until 1919 during World War I, Foster worked as the supervisor of negro economics for the state of Mississippi, a role within of the Division of Negro Economics at the United States Department of Labor.[7][8] He succeeded Supervisor Rev. J. C. Olden in the position based in Meridian, Mississippi[9][10][11] Starting in 1920, Foster worked as an executive secretary of the Urban League of Atlanta (now the National Urban League).[1][3]

During World War II, Foster worked as a race relations analyst for the United States Army.[1] He also worked as a race relations officer for the Federal Works Agency.[1]

Foster died in a hospital on June 20, 1981, in New York City.[1] His obituary in the New York Times noted he was a trustee and deacon at Grace Congregational Church of Harlem as well as a member of the board of managers for the Harlem YMCA.

Notes

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Lemuel Foster and L. L. Foster should link here. There are three relatives with the same name (so check dates) - he has son named Lemuel Foster Jr.

Fisk University president?

publisher?

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "Lemuel Foster, A Macy Executive and Specialist on Race Relations". The New York Times. June 25, 1981. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-06-30.
  2. ^ a b c The Fisk University News. Fisk University. 1918. p. 31 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b "Urban League names Atlanta Personnel". The Atlanta Constitution. 1920-03-16. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-06-30 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Fisk Jubilee Singers Preserve Traditions Of Historic Concert Organization". The Courier-Journal. 1915-11-07. p. 7. Retrieved 2024-06-30 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Fisk Singers Made Hit". Portsmouth Daily Times. 1917-02-03. p. 16. Retrieved 2024-06-30 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Leader Engaged For Negro Sing Classes". The Birmingham News. 1919-08-15. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-06-30 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ "Colored Teachers in Good Meeting Here". Jackson Daily News. 1919-01-11. p. 6. Retrieved 2024-06-30 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ Economics, United States Department of Labor Division of Negro (1921). The Negro at Work During the World War and During Reconstruction: Statistics, Problems, and Policies Relating to the Greater Inclusion of Negro Wage Earners in American Industry and Agriculture. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 86. ISBN 978-0-8371-1909-0.
  9. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=OdeGPqEvovEC&dq=lemuel+foster+negro&pg=PA86
  10. ^ https://fraser.stlouisfed.org/files/docs/publications/dne/dne_work1921.pdf
  11. ^ https://books.google.com/books?id=OdeGPqEvovEC&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq="j.c.+olden"+meridian+mississippi&source=bl&ots=9tXhsMsg0W&sig=ACfU3U2DwUxEQeBFIfOnkAWnwYfvcEuS4w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjwzeDdhIWHAxVpkIQIHakVDWsQ6AF6BAgsEAI