Abstract
Allen Foster has lived in Shaker Heights since 1984. He discusses his time on city council, his involvement with the Boy Scouts and youth groups, and his role in the Moreland Association.
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Interviewee
Foster, Allen Sr. (interviewee)
Interviewer
Eaton, George (interviewer)
Project
Moreland History Project
Date
11-20-2017
Document Type
Oral History
Duration
45 minutes
Recommended Citation
"Allen Foster Sr. interview, 20 November 2017" (2017). Cleveland Regional Oral History Collection. Interview 904005.
https://engagedscholarship.csuohio.edu/crohc000/1137
Transcript
George Eaton [00:00:01] Okay, we’re starting. Just give me your name.
Allen Foster [00:00:08] My name is Al Foster. I’m a resident of 3569 Menlo Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio, 44120. I’ve been a resident there since January 4th of 1984.
George Eaton [00:00:31] And what’s been your experience here?
Allen Foster [00:00:35] Well, I’ve had a great experience here. We moved here not realizing that we moved was Shaker Heights. We moved because we wanted better schools for our children. We had had three of them that were in Catholic school, and where we were at, the house had been broken into twice. So we said, well, let’s buy a house. So we had a decent real estate agent that brought us on this street called Menlo Road, and it was affordable. And the wife said, well, what’s going school system will they be in? And the real estate agent said, oh, well, they’ll be in the Shaker school system. So I had heard that the Shaker school systems at that time was a decent school system. And so we ended up buying the house.
George Eaton [00:01:35] Okay. You say that where you lived, you were broken into before you, where you lived before?
Allen Foster [00:01:41] Yeah, on 100, what, 41st [East 141st Street] and Miles.
George Eaton [00:01:49] So did Shaker live up to your expectations?
Allen Foster [00:01:52] Oh, yes, Shaker has lived up to our expectations. All the children have completed their education through the Shaker Heights school system. And one of them ended up teaching in the Shaker Heights school system at the middle school. He got his teaching degree from Malone College, and when he graduated from Malone, he ended up teaching at the Shaker Middle School and even being a coach on the high school football team.
George Eaton [00:02:28] Oh, wow. Okay. So what were your, beyond the schools, was there anything else that kind of struck you about Shaker?
Allen Foster [00:02:39] Well, I knew that there was good police, fire, as well as the public works here in Shaker. It was one of, Shaker is one of the few communities where they still go in the backyard and get your trash.
George Eaton [00:03:06] And what about just the atmosphere, the neighborhood itself, the neighbors?
Allen Foster [00:03:12] Well, the good thing that I liked about Shaker, it’s a diverse community, and that is something that I wanted for our children, because in the real world, the real world is a diverse place. And when Alan was in college down at Malone, he would tell his fellows, the white counterparts, about this place called Shaker Heights. And so many times, so many of them would come up from Canton so that they could stay here with him and see this place called Shaker Heights.
George Eaton [00:03:50] Now, did they stay at your house?
Allen Foster [00:03:52] Oh, yeah.
George Eaton [00:03:52] Oh, really?
Allen Foster [00:03:53] Oh, yeah. They stayed in our house and this harmonious community, which was not like the communities where they had come from.
George Eaton [00:04:08] Is there, and what about… Okay, the diversity. But what about how did you get along with your neighbors? They were diverse?
Allen Foster [00:04:20] Oh, yeah, got along well with our neighbors. You, you know, it was a good relations with the neighbors and still is.
George Eaton [00:04:36] Okay. I know that you also got involved with Shaker a little bit further, because you were a councilman here in Shaker. What inspired you, motivated you?
Allen Foster [00:05:12] Well, one of the things that motivated me is I got involved with the community associations in the Moreland area. And at that time, there were two organizations. And so I started going to both meetings of both groups. One group wanted what was the sodium streetlights. The other group was against the sodium streetlights. So I got with the presidents of each group and told them what was happening with each group and the two presidents of the Moreland Community Association. And the other group was Moreland on the Move. So they decided, the two presidents, Jane Arrington and Claire Woodson, decided, well, maybe we should look into consolidating into one group. And they did decide to consolidate but the problem is one group had about $100 in their treasury, the other group had about $15,000 in their organization. And the reason that the other group had 15,000 is because the Gund Foundation had given them a house, and they fixed the house up and sold the house. And that’s how they had so much money in their association.
George Eaton [00:07:00] What year was this?
Allen Foster [00:07:03] Boy, this was really about in 1986, because we came, as I say, in 84.
George Eaton [00:07:13] You say the Gund Foundation had given…
George Eaton [00:07:15] Had given, yeah, had given the Moreland Community Association a house, and they fixed the house up and sold the house. And that’s how they had so much money in their treasury upon the consolidation. And I used the word consolidation because it wasn’t a merger, because they used part of the name from each group. I was on the committee that did the bylaws for the new association. And then once the bylaws were done, they wanted me as the president of the community association, and they elected me with no opposition. So I stayed the president of the new association. And then they-
George Eaton [00:08:13] You say new association, the New Moreland Community?
Allen Foster [00:08:15] Oh, yes, yes. The new association was called Moreland on the Move Community Association, and therefore it used some of the names of both groups, the Moreland Community Association and Moreland on the Move, which Moreland on the Move started because there was a car wash on Lee Road, and part of the car wash traffic was going to be on Chelton. So we got that change where the traffic wasn’t going to be on Shelton itself. And as I say, as time went on, people, I put in for an appointment to City Council. There was an appointment, and one of the questions that was asked of me is that even if you don’t get the appointment, are you going to run? George, I had no plans to run for council, but I wanted the appointment. So when Winston Ritchie asked me that question, my answer was, of course I’m going to run. And me being a man of my word, the next day, after the interview for the consul position, I went to the Board of Election and got petitions to run for City Council.
George Eaton [00:09:56] And that was what year?
Allen Foster [00:09:57] That was in 1995. And Pat Mearns, who was the mayor at that time, I was in the race, and then I decided to drop out the race. I dropped out the race because there was another black female named Stephanie Turner that was in the race, and I felt that two blacks could not win. So I dropped out. And Pat Mearns called me at the gas company and encouraged me to get back in the race. We need your leadership on city council. And she said, and I will get you the money to run. I think I ran the cheapest city council race ever. It was. It cost me $1,500 for the race. A thousand of it was by donations that Pat Mearns got me from people that had money. The Sam Millers, the Al Lerners, the Ambassador Milton Wolf, and about $500 came from union monies.
George Eaton [00:11:29] So these were all supporters of you?
Allen Foster [00:11:33] Yeah, they ended up being supporters of mine. But their concern to Pat was, yeah, Pat, you’re asking us to support that guy, but he’s a union guy. And Pat said, yeah, I know, but he’s honest and he’s fair.
George Eaton [00:11:54] Now, when you say union guy, what would they refer to?
Allen Foster [00:11:56] Well, I was a labor leader, the first Black at East Ohio Gas at that time. And I’d been elected boy in 1972 with the unions as the first Black union representative with the gas company. But my reputation, even with the higher ups of the gas company, is that he’s honest and he’s fair. And they in turn talked to the Sam Millers and the Al Lerners, and that’s why they ended up supporting me for city council. And then in Al Lerner’s case, he was a Marine, just like I was a Marine. So that helped also.
George Eaton [00:12:47] Okay. And through your experiences, obviously, you made, you were elected in 19, is it 1995?
Allen Foster [00:12:59] In 1995, I was elected to council and I preached to young people about being persistent in your goals and objectives in life, because I had ran for council in Cleveland in 1975, and I lost. And that’s when we got Fannie Lewis elected in 1975. And then here I am in Shaker 20 years later, and I decide to run again and I win. And that’s why I preach to young people about being persistent in your goals and in your objectives in life.
George Eaton [00:13:50] So as the councilman, did it give you a different perspective of Shaker to see?
Allen Foster [00:14:02] Yeah, it gave me a different perspective of Shaker because, the good thing about being on council, we did not have wards. I didn’t have to represent just the area that I lived in, which was the Moreland area. It gave me a better perspective of all of Shaker, and it helped me learn and meet people from all parts of Shaker, not just the poor like me, but those who had money. And I got to know them, and they in turn got to know me and found out that what they were saying about that Al Foster, that he is an honest and fair person, they found that to be true.
George Eaton [00:14:57] Can you mention any of the, have you seen changes in Shaker?
Allen Foster [00:15:03] Yes. Yeah, I’ve seen a lot of changes in Shaker. And in that first campaign, my slogan was: Let’s make the best better. And when I retired from council in 2011, I gave my farewell speech, and I cited many things that had happened from the time that I was on council. Library Court, Sussex, the Shaker town center. The fire station, the new fire station that was built. Office Max ended up moving to Shaker Heights with their headquarters. And then after Office Max left, University Hospitals moved in that building. So many good things had happened in Shaker Heights, even me being part of the group that brought the new superintendent to the Shaker Heights school, Gregory Hutchins. And my last comments when I gave my farewell speech as well, I guess I did make things a little bit better in Shaker Heights. And I’m the only person on council to lose and then rerun again and win. And that’s why they call me the Grover Cleveland of Shaker Heights. Grover Cleveland is the only president to lose and then run again and win. And when you walk inside a city hall on the right, there’s a plaque that has all the names of the council persons, and I’m the only person whose name is up there twice.
George Eaton [00:17:40] So you help to, you’ve helped or you’ve been a part of many of the changes of these changes that you listed, did you feel that, well, obviously you felt all of them were to the benefit. Which one did you think was the most significant?
Allen Foster [00:17:59] There were so many things, George, that I was part of, even the housing inspections, which we holler about. But it’s a necessary evil because Shaker does not have the industry that so many of the other communities have. Housing is our industry. And even though we complain about it, we, and I would always say that we don’t want Shaker Heights to become the, like East Cleveland. I remember when East Cleveland was a premier community. And then as the years have gone on, East Cleveland has deteriorated. And I didn’t want that to see that happen here in Shaker Heights.
George Eaton [00:19:00] You say housing is our industry, but you wouldn’t, would you consider this like a bedroom community as such?
Allen Foster [00:19:07] Yeah, it is a bedroom community, but as I reiterate, it’s a good community that still has decent schools.
George Eaton [00:19:31] Okay. Did you get familiar with, well, obviously, you met many of the older residents of Shaker as you were mentioning, Winston Ritchie and Al Lerner and Sam Miller. Did you get an appreciation of any of Shaker’s history from these people and from just being on council and visiting different areas?
Allen Foster [00:19:56] Yeah. Being on council, I learned about Shaker Heights, how the Jewish community as well as the Black community at first were not accepted even on the deeds of the properties. They were called deed restrictions, where the neighbors on each side had to give the approval of a Black person or even a Jewish person to move into the various houses. I’ve seen the deed restrictions on many of the properties here in Shaker Heights.
George Eaton [00:20:43] Really?
Allen Foster [00:20:44] Yeah. Where you had to have the approval, the neighbors on each side. If you were going to sell your house to a Jewish person or to a Black person. Oh, it’s on the deeds. Oh, yeah. You had to be approved by the neighbors on each side and maybe even the one on the next street and back. But I seen the deed restrictions, and it is something that the Van Sweringens had made part of their real estate at that time.
George Eaton [00:21:29] But obviously there were many that wanted to make a change?
Allen Foster [00:21:35] Yeah. The Ludlow Association was one of the first associations in the United States where Blacks and Whites joined together to make the community a diverse community. And it really helped. It really helped.
George Eaton [00:21:58] How did you feel when you first found out about that?
Allen Foster [00:22:02] Well, I was at that time really embedded in the community, and I was amazed that those things had been the law of the land back then. You know, I would have never thought that. And even the barricades. Before moving to Shaker, I used to go through Scottsdale all the way up to Randall Mall. And then all of a sudden, one Day I’m going to Randall Mall, and I get to Lee and Scottsdale, and they got these barricades up. And I said, what’s up with that? I said, those doggone racist white people in Shaker Heights, went and put some barricades up. And I understand they put them up because they think that I’m driving through there throwing my McDonald’s wrappers on their tree lines, which was not the case. And then after I get on council and start reading the history of the barricades and I’m reading names of Black people that I know that were part of wanting the barricades up, and that gave me a whole different perspective of the barricades. How the case was taken all the way to the United States Supreme Court.
George Eaton [00:23:47] The barricades?
Allen Foster [00:23:48] Oh, yeah, okay. And how the Supreme Court ruled the, yes, Shaker has a right to have those barricades there because the city wants them there. And not to keep people, Black people, from going through that particular part of Shaker Heights, but to keep people, period, not just Black people, but people, period, from going through to Warrensville Center Road.
George Eaton [00:24:27] So were you saying it was a traffic issue?
Allen Foster [00:24:29] It was a traffic issue, yeah. That’s what it ended up being with the United States Supreme Court.
George Eaton [00:24:38] Wow. Did other people in the city feel the same at first? Feel the same way that they were racially inspired?
Allen Foster [00:24:48] Yes, yes, yes, they did, because it was a shortcut to get to Randall Park Mall back in the day.
George Eaton [00:25:00] And what’s the attitude now? Do you know or have you talked with people?
Allen Foster [00:25:05] Well, it’s just an accepted practice because once it went to the Supreme Court and Supreme Court ruled that it was legal, then it became a dead issue. And so many things, like even the “For Sale” signs, I remember when I first moved here, oh, no, you can’t put any “For Sale” signs on your lawn. And then the Supreme Court ruled, yes you can. And then as time went on, there were more “For Sale” signs popping up on people’s lawns. And the reason that they were against, people were against the “For Sale” signs is because we did not want, I forget what you call it when areas of the city, Whites would start throwing “For Sale” signs on their lawns and it would scare people. White flight. That’s the word I want to use. White flight.
George Eaton [00:26:19] Do you remember when, you say, the “For Sale” sign issue went to the Supreme Court also?
Allen Foster [00:26:24] Yes, and I can’t remember exactly when that was. That might have even been in 1997, if not before. But it was so funny to see real estate signs popping up on lawns in Shaker Heights, whereas that had been a no-no in previous years.
George Eaton [00:26:48] So then would you, have you seen, or based on your experience, exposure, have you seen any of White flight from Shaker?
Allen Foster [00:26:58] No, I don’t feel that there’s really White flight here in the city. It just lets people know that various houses are for sale. And if you can afford to buy the house, then buy the house.
George Eaton [00:27:19] And so as you talk to people outside of Shaker and even with your family, do they have the same feelings that, you know, when we talked about the barricades, there was a bit of racist issue?
Allen Foster [00:27:36] Yes, they do. And then I have to set them straight and let them know what I learned upon moving here and getting on council, that it’s not an issue that Whites wanted those barricades, because I told them when I started reading some of the names of the people that wanted the barricades, they were not all White people. They were Black people who I knew and respected.
George Eaton [00:28:16] Well, that’s… [inaudible] Is there anything else you may want to talk about?
Allen Foster [00:28:24] Well, the Moreland School. The Moreland School. My Cub Scouts took the flag down the last day that this was the Moreland School, which became the library when we moved here. And I have papers, my wife and other parents. We had a sixth grade graduation dinner, and I got one of the Cleveland Browns football players to be the guest speaker.
George Eaton [00:29:09] This was in 1986?
Allen Foster [00:29:11] Yes. And it was Ozzie Newsome, who was one of the wide receivers of the Browns. And this I have a picture of Ozzie with the sign in back saying way to go Moreland grads. Class of, what is that, ’86? I can’t see it.
George Eaton [00:29:34] ’86. Yes.
Allen Foster [00:29:36] And it was so funny at that time, the principal did not want, that’s my youngest son, Sean, who’s now almost tall as Ozzie. But the principal did not want us to have the dinner. But I’m the type of person that, why go to the foot when you can go to the head? So I went to the superintendent, and his name’s escaping me right now, Mark Freeman. And Mark thought it was a great idea. So the dinner was on. And then once Ms. Groves, who was the principal, found out when she’s a football fan that I was going to get Ozzie Newsome, she bought right into it. And then the next year, for my Cub Scout dinner, I had Ozzie once again as the guest speaker. And then the next year, I got Curtis Weathers, who was one of the Browns. And that was at Woodbury School, the dinner for him. And the following year, I got Wayne Dawson, who was one of the TV anchors then as well as now, and Dr. Valentino Lassiter, who was the minister of East View Church. He, we had the dinner for the Cub Scouts then, and it was so funny. We were supposed to get Kevin Mack. The Lord knows what he’s doing because that’s when Kevin was allegedly caught in the Glenville area using drugs. And he could not very well be telling the Scouts to “Say no to drugs.” And he had been caught. Had a real good article. Newsome teaches the Scouts the art of winning. And I have a picture that was in the Call & Post of Ozzie Newsome and all the Scouts back then. And that was, as I say, right here at the library, which had become Moreland School.
George Eaton [00:32:28] So, is that Brad Dougherty?
Allen Foster [00:32:29] That is Brad Dougherty. But that’s at another fair where I took the Scouts. But this was here, the Wizard of Oz, the Scout dinner.
George Eaton [00:32:48] So you were Scoutmaster for how many years?
Allen Foster [00:32:54] Boy, I was, yeah. Well, I was the, one of the assistant Cub Scout masters when my son Allen came home with the paper that he wanted to be a Cub Scout. And if my son is involved, I’m gonna be involved, too. So it came time, he got to be the age of 11, and then it’s time to go to the Boy Scouts. And he says to me, you know, dad, I don’t really want to go to the Boy Scouts. I was only doing Cub Scouts for you. I wanted to choke him because I’m in the Scouts because you brought the paper home. But I really enjoyed it. So even though he did not go on to be the Boy Scouts, I still stayed with Scouting for another two years because so many of those young men, it’s people like Mr. Rogers who had over 50 years in scouting. People like us are the only male figures that they get to see, because when they go home, it’s their mother and their grandmother. When they go to school, it’s only female teachers that they have interaction with. There was the one time when the young man wanted to go to the bathroom, and I told him, go on to the bathroom. But he was taking so long in the bathroom. I said, let me walk in here and see what’s happening. And he didn’t have to do number two. He had to do number one. But there he was in the bathroom, sitting down on the toilet, like he’s seen his mother, his grandmother seen them do. And that’s when I told him, no, no, men use that over there. They stand up, and that’s as I say, one of the enjoyments that I had in being Cub Scout leader, teaching young men how to be men. One of them became a professional basketball player, James Posey. And he is still with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now, I forget who James played for, but it gave me so much joy to see him grow up. And then he moved to Twinsburg and was on the Twinsburg basketball team. And as I say, he grew up in the Moreland area, and he’s still with the Cleveland Cavaliers and it gives me joy when I see the Cleveland Cavaliers, that I see James Posey back there sitting with the coaches and all. He became a fine young man.
George Eaton [00:36:15] So obviously, you worked with young, with the youth and Shaker for some time. You said earlier about persistence. You told me that, persistence in all things.
Allen Foster [00:36:28] Oh, yeah. Being persistent in your goals and in your objectives of life.
George Eaton [00:36:37] And so how do you feel the- How do you feel the youth in Shaker are coming along now, considering so many strong influences before?
Allen Foster [00:36:44] So many of them, and one of the things that I used to preach when I was on city council, if we as adults don’t find something constructive for the youth of Shaker Heights, they will find something destructive to do. And that’s why one of the main things, being the chairperson of the Shaker Recreation Committee, we got the basketball courts up there at Thornton Park. We got the skating, the skateboard thing, park up there at Thornton Park. So many things that we got for youth to do. And I feel so good about that because it has deterred a lot of the juvenile problems that other cities have.
George Eaton [00:37:54] Okay. Well. And I take it your Scout troop was headquartered out of-
Allen Foster [00:38:03] East View Church. Yes, and the church supported us wholeheartedly. The gas company who I worked for, they supported the Scouts wholeheartedly because they were donating vans. And I convinced East Ohio to donate a van to East View Church. But one of the things that East Ohio would do, they would not give the church a van. They sold East View Church a van after we fixed it up. And me being a mechanic with the company, we painted it, new tires, the whole bit. And East View had to pay East Ohio a check of $1 for that van. So that East Ohio never gave them or my Boys and Girls Club a van. They paid East Ohio for that van.
George Eaton [00:39:24] Okay. Do you still have friends here in Shaker from back when you first moved? Many of them, have you gained friends over time?
Allen Foster [00:39:40] Oh, yeah, yeah. So many there that I had have passed on, and they’ve supported me wholeheartedly. And even right now, the mayor of Shaker Heights. We’ve still got a decent rapport where we go out occasionally and we talk about the various things that are happening here in the city. And one of the things that I really am happy he will tell people that I’ve been a good influence on him as a mayor,
George Eaton [00:40:12] That you’ve been a good influence on the mayor?
Allen Foster [00:40:14] On the mayor. And when I retired and left council, one of the things that he put in there is, it was Al who told me to stick with the following: God first, family second. And everything else is back there where you find the space and the place. And he put in the paper that it’s been a blessing for him to have me as his friend, as the mayor, working through city challenges. And he said, I hope you’ll stay in touch because we may be calling you. And my reply to the mayor is, you have my number. And even though I retired in 2011, I’ve helped support income tax increases that the city has had, because at the senior housing, Campbell Court, Library Court, they know that I’ll be there to give them the absentee ballot application so that they can vote. And then I don’t just give them to them. I come back and pick them up. And then after they vote, I take them pizza and pop, you know, for voting. So even though you can’t let… Oh, yeah. And I don’t have a vested interest, I’m not running for anything anymore. No, no.
George Eaton [00:42:02] Does that mean you’re not going to run again?
Allen Foster [00:42:04] No, no. A happy life is a happy wife.
George Eaton [00:42:07] Okay. Okay. So I think your wife doesn’t want you to run again?
Allen Foster [00:42:13] And I don’t want to run again. Twelve years was good, and I helped a lot of people. And as I said, I’ve seen a lot of constructive changes, changes that have happened here in the city. So, no, I’m through.
George Eaton [00:42:33] All right. Well, is there anything else you’d like to share with us relative to Shaker and its history?
Allen Foster [00:42:44] No. I’m really looking forward to the Van Aken center [Van Aken District], and I smile about that every time I drive through there because I know that I was on council when we started that project. As I say, the post office up on Warrensville and Chagrin. That was something that was not there when I first got on council. And we were not happy when the post office went there, but the government had bought the land because we get no taxes from the post office. But they bought the land, so they got to build the post office. So we had to grin and bear it. And I was there at the ground breaking, breaking the ground for it. Same with the Sussex Court. I still have the shovel from when we broke the ground for that, which things like that bring in income as well as property tax money.
George Eaton [00:44:05] Anything else?
Allen Foster [00:44:08] No, that’s basically all that I really have to say right now. Unless you have other questions. No, it’s still a decent community and hope to, they can bury me here.
George Eaton [00:44:28] Okay. All right. Well, this will conclude our interview with Al Foster Senior. And on the 20th of November. Thank you. And I guess we’ll be in touch.
Allen Foster [00:44:51] Thank you, George.
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