In Memoriam

Francis Merrill Foster Sr. (1921-2008)

Francis Merrill Foster Sr., dentist, historian, and educator, died earlier this month at his daughter’s home in Richmond, Virginia, after a battle with cancer. He was 86 years old.

Dr. Foster was a native of Richmond. He graduated from Virginia Union University in 1942 and then enrolled at the Howard University School of Dentistry. In 1948 he began a more than 40 year practice of dentistry in Richmond. He became an authority on black history in Richmond and served on the board of the Historic Richmond Foundation. He also was chair of the Richmond Public Library Board and sat on the Richmond School Board.

For many years, Dr. Foster was also an assistant professor of general-practice dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Lulu Robinson (1922-2007)

Lulu Robinson, a longtime professor of religion and philosophy at Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, North Carolina, died late last month. She was 85 years old.

Robinson was the wife of Prezell Robinson, who served for nearly 30 years as president of Saint Augustine’s College before his retirement in 1994.

After earning a master’s degree from Atlanta University, Robinson began her teaching career at Voorhees College in South Carolina, where she met her husband. Prezell was the registrar at Voorhees College at that time.

Copyright © 2008. The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. All rights reserved.