Theodore Foster, 1752-1828, a lawyer and long-time state legislator, served as town clerk (1775-1787) and supported the movement for independence. He was a prominent advocate of the federal Constitution. His efforts in support of ratification, together with his advantageous marriage to the sister of Governor Arthur Fenner, gained him election as one of Rhode Island’s first U.S. Senators. Foster served as a Federalist in the Senate from 1790 until 1803, when he retired to engaged in historical and scholarly activities. The town of Foster (established in 1781) was named in his honor, and he retired there to interact with his college classmate, Dr. Solomon Drowne.