Harry C. Foster

Foster was born on August 27, 1871, in Swampscott, Massachusetts. He graduated from Gloucester High School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He worked as a civil engineer and was employed for a time by the Boston Elevated Railway Company.

From 1898 to 1901, Foster was chairman of the Gloucester Republican City Committee. He was a member of the party's state committee from 1900 to 1901.{{cite book|title=A Souvenir of Massachusetts Legislators 1903|page=136|url=https://archive.org/stream/souvenirofmassac1903brid#page/136/mode/2up/search/Foster}} Foster was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1898. From 1902 to 1903 he was a member of the Massachusetts Senate. He represented the 3rd Essex District, which consisted of Essex, Gloucester, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester, Newbury, Newburyport, Rockport, Rowley, and Wenham. During his second term a Senate committee found Foster guilty of indiscreet, imprudent, and injurious conduct, but no action was taken. He then served as Mayor of Gloucester from 1912 to 1915. In 1915, Foster returned to the Massachusetts House of Representatives.{{cite book|title=A Souvenir of Massachusetts Legislators 1916|page=89|url=https://archive.org/stream/souvenirofmassac1916brid#page/88/mode/2up}}

On March 1, 1916, State Representative James M. Lyle appeared before the Legislative Committee on Roads and Bridges and accused Foster of collecting money to be used for lobbying a bill compelling the city of Gloucester and the town of Rockport to contribute about $90,000 towards the construction of a new highway through the legislature.{{cite news|title=Lyle Attacks His Colleague|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 1, 1916}} Lyle reiterated his accusation at a session later that afternoon and added that he wanted the matter investigated and that he would present evidence at the proper time. Foster admitted to collecting money, but claimed that it was used to employ counsel on behalf of the bill.{{cite news|title=Row Started by Lyle and Silva|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 2, 1916}} On March 3, the House voted in favor of two similar resolutions introduced by Lyle and Foster asking for an investigation of Foster by the Rules Committee.{{cite news|title=House Votes Foster Probe|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 4, 1916}} On March 16, the Rules Committee recommended to the House that Foster be expelled. In its report to the House, the committee wrote that "by collecting money from persons he knew interested in legislation before said General Court... in the manner and under the circumstances set forth in evidence... is guilty of conduct unbecoming a member of the General Court and guilty of such conduct that it demands his expulstion from said body as a member."{{cite news|title=House Votes on Foster Today|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 17, 1916}} On March 17, the House voted in favor of expelling Foster by a voice vote.{{cite news|title=One Loud Vote Favors Foster|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 18, 1916}}{{cite news | publisher = Commonwealth of Massachusetts | date = 1916 | title = Documents Printed by Order of the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts During the General Court of 1916 | author = Massachusetts. General Court. House of Representatives | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=uUY7AQAAMAAJ&q=harry+C%2C+foster&pg=PA48-IA153}}

Foster would be the last member of the Massachusetts House to be expelled until Carlos Henriquez's expulsion on February 6, 2014.{{cite news|last=O'Sullivan|first=Jim|title=Lawmakers prepare for historic expulsion vote|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/02/06/henriquez-case-weighs-heavily-house-prepares-for-expilsion-vote/ExQDtD2kjdGpdF14VcuoYI/story.html|accessdate=February 7, 2014|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 6, 2014}}{{cite news | publisher = bostonglobe.com | date = Feb 6, 2014 | title = Lawmakers prepare for historic expulsion vote | author = Jim O’Sullivan | url = https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/02/06/henriquez-case-weighs-heavily-house-prepares-for-expilsion-vote/ExQDtD2kjdGpdF14VcuoYI/story.html}}

Foster died on March 5, 1917, in Seward, Alaska, of apoplexy.{{cite news|title=Harry C. Foster Victim of Apoplexy|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 7, 1917}}{{cite journal|title=1917|journal=Journal of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers|year=1917 |volume=4|page=9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PBdbAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA1-PA9|accessdate=February 7, 2014}} His body was sent to Gloucester, where it arrived on March 22.{{cite news|title=Body of H. C. Foster Reaches Magnolia Home|newspaper=March 23, 1917|date=March 23, 1917}} The funeral was held on March 25 at the Magnolia Congressional Church.{{cite news|title=Funeral of Ex-Mayor|newspaper=The Boston Daily Globe|date=March 26, 1917}}

• 1915 Massachusetts legislature
• 1916 Massachusetts legislature

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Category:1871 births

Category:1917 deaths

Category:American civil engineers

Category:Expelled members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Category:Massachusetts Institute of Technology alumni

Category:Republican Party Massachusetts state senators

Category:Mayors of Gloucester, Massachusetts

Category:Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives

Category:19th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court

Category:20th-century members of the Massachusetts General Court