A Michael Foster Tribute
Stephanie McClaskey
April 28, 2023
The Illinois Central College (ICC) community mourns the loss of a retired professor of English, Journalism, and Literature. Michael Foster, of Metamora, Ill., passed away Wednesday, April 12, 2023. Foster was part of the ICC faculty for 34 years, before retiring in 2005.
His daughter, Dr. Megan Foster-Campbell, followed in her father’s footsteps and also joined the ICC family where she is still employed as a Professor of Art History. Foster-Campbell reflects on her fond memories of her father.
“He was a wonderful dad who taught me much about life, the humanities (art, music, literature), nature, humor, and life in general,” she shares.
Foster was also a pillar in ICC’s student-led news organization, Harbinger Student Media (HSM), during his time at ICC. Foster-Campbell shares that her father was extremely dedicated to his role at HSM, sharing that he even held a staff meeting just hours after she was born.
“One thing he would say is, “When you are a journalist, your drug of choice is adrenalin.” He was so dedicated to The Harbinger, with regular staff meetings and pushing his staff to get the best story, “ Foster-Campbell shared.
Foster paved the way for many students at ICC. His love for literature and the arts left a lasting impact on the ICC community. He also created two special topics literature courses during his time at ICC. One on Fantasy Literature and the other on the writings of J.R.R. Tolkien, which Foster-Campbell explains is his area of scholarly expertise.
“Both were wildly popular,” she said.
Foster was also involved in founding the Honors Program at ICC. Foster-Campbell explains that he brought the idea to the ICC administration. He had been a member of an Honors Program at his undergraduate institution, Marquette University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. ICC’s Honors Program is still going strong today.
Additionally, Foster left a lasting impact in the journalism field across the state, having been a charter member of the Illinois Community College Journalism Association (ICCJA). ICCJA’s top award is named The Mike Foster General Excellence Award in his honor. Foster-Campbell thinks back on her fathers reaction to this event.
“I can’t remember the exact year they named the award in his honor, perhaps in the early 2000s. He was completely surprised and incredibly pleased to be honored in this way. He was a presence at all their meetings, often running workshops at the meetings. He was able to go to some of the conferences after they named the award in his honor; even after he retired, he’d still travel to the conference so that he could personally present the award. My family is so grateful that ICCJA will carry on his journalistic legacy with this award, “ Foster-Campbell said.
Foster kept in touch with many of his students and staff members of HSM long after they graduated from ICC. They would write him letters, emails and connect with him on social media. Many expressed their gratitude for the impact he made in their lives as their teacher and mentor. Services to honor his life were held on the morning of Friday, April 21, 2023.