Ephraim Hubbard Foster (September 17, 1794September 6, 1854) was an American politician, who twice served as a United States Senator from Tennessee. During his political career, he was a member of the Whig Party.

Biography

Foster was born near Bardstown, Kentucky in Nelson County, the son of

Robert Coleman Foster Robert Coleman Foster I (July 8, 1769 – September 27, 1844) was a prominent Nashville, Tennessee, Attorney at law (United States), attorney and politician. Biography Foster was born in Virginia on July 8, 1769. He was married to Ann Hubbard. ...

and the former Ann Hubbard. In 1797 he moved with his parents to Tennessee, where they settled in the

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

area. He later graduated from Cumberland College (1813) and later studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1820. He owned slaves. He also served in the

Creek War The Creek War (1813–1814), also known as the Red Stick War and the Creek Civil War, was a regional war between opposing Indigenous American Creek factions, European empires and the United States, taking place largely in modern-day Alabama ...

and was for a time private secretary to General Andrew Jackson. He was a member of the

Tennessee House of Representatives The Tennessee House of Representatives is the lower house of the Tennessee General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. Constitutional requirements According to the state constitution of 1870, this body is to consis ...

from 1829 to 1831 and again from 1835 to 1837, serving each time as Speaker. Upon the resignation from the U.S. Senate of Felix Grundy to accept appointment as United States Attorney General, the

Tennessee General Assembly The Tennessee General Assembly (TNGA) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is a part-time bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Speaker of the Senate carries the additional title ...

elected Foster his successor. He served in the Senate for the first time from September 17, 1838 to March 3, 1839. The legislature elected him to continue in the new term, but he declined, refusing to take their instruction in how to vote while a Senator; the legislature then turned to Grundy, still Attorney General, to succeed him, which (controversially) Grundy agreed to do. However, Grundy died in office about a year later.

Alfred O. P. Nicholson Alfred Osborn Pope Nicholson (August 31, 1808March 23, 1876), was a lawyer, newspaper editor, banker, and politician from Tennessee. A Democrat, he was twice a US Senator from that state. Biography Nicholson was born near Franklin, Tennessee, in ...

agreed to serve on an interim basis; then for a period the seat was vacated entirely, but eventually the legislature agreed to elect Foster again to the seat and he agreed to serve. His second period of service in the Senate was from October 17, 1843 to March 3, 1845. During this time he chaired the Senate Committee on Claims. Later in 1845 Foster received the nomination of the Whig party for

Governor of Tennessee The governor of Tennessee is the head of government of the U.S. state of Tennessee. The governor is the only official in Tennessee state government who is directly elected by the voters of the entire state. The current governor is Bill Lee, a ...

, but was defeated in the election by Aaron V. Brown of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. Following this, Foster returned to his Nashville law practice until shortly before his death. He is buried in the old City Cemetery in Nashville. His only daughter Sallie married Benjamin F. Cockrill, the son of planter

Mark R. Cockrill Mark Robertson Cockrill (1788-1872) was an American cattleman, horse breeder and planter. He was the owner of a large farm in Davidson County, Tennessee and a cotton plantation with 300 slaves in Mississippi. He won many prizes for his sheep-rear ...

, and they had a son, Benjamin F. Cockrill Jr.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Foster, Epharim H. 1794 births 1854 deaths People from Nelson County, Kentucky American people of English descent Whig Party United States senators from Tennessee Members of the Tennessee House of Representatives Tennessee lawyers American slave owners Politicians from Nashville, Tennessee People of the Creek War United States senators who owned slaves