Jack Foster

Jack Foster (1906–1978) was a prominent 20th-century journalist in the Rocky Mountain region. His career as a journalist spanned 43 years with Scripps-Howard newspapers in Cleveland, New York City, and Denver. He was the editor of the Rocky Mountain News.

Career He performed odd jobs for the newspaper as a boy, and began his career with Scripps-Howard at the age of 15, At that time, the News faced stiff competition from its rival Denver newspaper, The Denver Post, and was in danger of losing the fight. In 1942 Foster made a bold move to save the dying paper. After convincing the president of Scripps-Howard, Roy W. Howard, of the soundness of the plan, Foster changed the format of the paper from the traditional broadside to a tabloid, magazine-style format.

The new format debuted on April 13, 1942, and is largely credited with saving the paper. At the same time, Foster introduced another novel idea, the advice column. The Molly Mayfield column was the first advice column of its kind, pre-dating Ann Landers and Dear Abby. Foster's wife Frances penned the column under the pseudonym. Foster retired from the Rocky Mountain News at the end of 1970.

His correspondence with Dwight D. Eisenhower, Richard Nixon, as well as Roy W. Howard and Jack R. Howard of Scripps-Howard News Service are held at the University of Denver.