Lafayette L. Foster

L. L. Foster
5th President of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas
In office
July 1, 1898 – December 2, 1901
Preceded byRoger Haddock Whitlock (Acting)
Succeeded byRoger Haddock Whitlock (Acting)
Railroad Commissioner of Texas
In office
May 5, 1891 – April 29, 1895
Appointed byJim Hogg
Preceded byOffice established
Succeeded byN. A. Stedman
Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics, and History
In office
January 20, 1887 – May 4, 1891
GovernorL. S. Ross
Jim Hogg
Preceded byHamilton P. Bee
Succeeded byJohn E. Hollingsworth
28th Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 13, 1885 – January 11, 1887
Preceded byCharles Reese Gibson
Succeeded byGeorge Cassety Pendleton
Member of the
Texas House of Representatives
In office
January 9, 1883 – January 11, 1887
Preceded byRobert A. Kerr
Succeeded byAlbert Collins Prendergast
Constituency62nd district
In office
January 11, 1881 – January 9, 1883
Preceded byJames Petty Brown
Succeeded byJohn Marks Moore
(Redistricting)
Constituency42nd district
Personal details
Born
Lafayette Lumpkin Foster

(1851-11-27)November 27, 1851
Sheltonville, Georgia, U.S.
DiedDecember 2, 1901(1901-12-02) (aged 50)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Burial placeCollege Station, Texas, U.S.
30°36′07″N 96°22′06″W / 30.60192°N 96.36829°W / 30.60192; -96.36829
Alma materWaco University
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Laura Pender
(m. 1875)
Children7

Lafayette Lumpkin Foster (November 27, 1851 – December 2, 1901) was an American journalist and politician. A bureaucrat that held various positions in the state government of Texas, Foster was a member of the boards of both Baylor University and the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, later becoming president of the A&M College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University, from 1898 to his death three years later.

A strong believer in organization and progress, he played instrumental roles in the merger of two large Texas Baptist conventions, and Baylor University's move to Waco. He helped organize the first "Farmers' Camp Meeting" in 1898, which would turn into the Texas Farmers Congress and be held annually at the A&M College until 1915.[1] He was the youngest Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives at the time of his election to the office at the age of 33.

  1. ^ Dethloff, Henry C.; Dyal, Donald H. (1991). A Special Kind of Doctor: A History of Veterinary Medicine in Texas. College Station, Texas: Texas A&M University Press. ISBN 0-89096-483-1. LCCN 91-456.