Dwight Foster

Dwight Foster (December 13, 1828 – April 18, 1884) was an American lawyer and politician from Massachusetts. He served as Massachusetts Attorney General and was an associate justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court.

Early life Foster was born in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts and attended the common schools there and completed preparatory studies in Newport, Rhode Island. He graduated from Yale College in 1848, where he was a member of Skull and Bones. He was admitted to the bar in Massachusetts the following year, and attended Harvard Law School in 1851. He began the practice of law in Worcester.

Career In 1854, he served in the Massachusetts State Militia and was Governor Emory Washburn's aide-de-camp. He returned to practicing law until 1866 when he was appointed Associate Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court by Governor Alexander Bullock. He served as associate justice from 1866 to 1869.

After leaving office he served as Associate Counsel for the New England Mutual Life Insurance Company.

Foster died on April 18, 1884, in Boston, Massachusetts, and is interred in the Rural Cemetery in Worcester.

Family life Foster was the son of Alfred Dwight Foster (1800–1852) and Lydia Stiles. His father was a representative on the Massachusetts General Court and was involved with various civic organizations including the Worcester town council, Massachusetts Governor's Council, Leicester Academy, Amherst College, the State Lunatic Asylum, and the State Reform School. Foster married Henrietta Perkins Baldwin (1830–1910), the daughter of Connecticut Governor & U.S. Senator Roger Sherman Baldwin. They had eight children: Alfred Dwight Foster, Burnside Foster, Emily B. Foster, Mary Rebecca Foster, Henrietta Baldwin Foster, Roger Sherman Baldwin Foster, Reginald Foster and Elizabeth Skinner Foster.

His great uncle Theodore Foster was a Senator from Rhode Island; born in Brookfield, Worcester County, Mass., April 29, 1752; pursued classical studies and graduated from Rhode Island College (now Brown University), Providence, R.I., in 1770; studied law; admitted to the bar about 1771 and commenced practice in Providence, R.I.; town clerk of Providence 1775–1787; member, State house of representatives 1776–1782; appointed judge of the court of admiralty in May 1785; appointed Naval Officer of Customs for the district of Providence, R.I., 1790; appointed to the United States Senate in 1790; elected in 1791 and again in 1797 as a Federalist and served from June 7, 1790, to March 3, 1803; was not a candidate for reelection in 1802; retired from public life and engaged in writing and historical research; member, State house of representatives 1812–1816; trustee of Brown University 1794–1822.