National Deaf Life Museum | Additional Photos · Andrew J. Foster: Missionary, Educator, and Advocate

While preparing this exhibition in 2014, we did not have space to include all the photos Dr. Agboola collected. He had a large number of pictures, spanning some thirty years, and together we chose the best images to represent the story we wanted to tell in the museum. In this online exhibition, we are able to share the full collection. As Dr. Agboola did not have the opportunity to write full captions for these photos, we are including the text he did provide, as written alongside each photo.

Andrew Foster, Berta Foster, and their children at the annual Easter Bible Camp for the Deaf in Ibadan, Nigeria, 1974

Andrew and Berta Foster on their wedding day. Ibadan, Nigeria, 1961

Andrew Foster with Victor Vodounou, one of his mentees from the Republic of Benin Republic. Victor is the first deaf person from Benin to earn a Ph.D and has followed in the steps of Andrew Foster by becoming a missionary to the deaf in French-speaking African countries. (Benin, 1984)

Tim Foster, 1973

Andrew Foster with a soccer team of deaf youngsters. He believed in the totality of mind, body, and spirit and encouraged deaf youngsters to do the same. (Ivory Coast, 1965)

Berta, Andy, Faith, John, Andrew, Tim - c. 1968

Dr. Peter Mba, the first deaf Nigerian to earn a Ph.D, with students at Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf. Dr. Mba was serving as the headmaster of the school when this picture was taken.

Three students at the Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf sign “Jesus Loves Me”.

Andrew Foster with the first set of students at the Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf. They were making the sign for “Jesus”. (Ibadan, Nigeria, 1960)

Andrew Foster with the first set of students at the Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf (Ibadan, Nigeria, 1960)

Students at a geography class. (Ibadan, Nigeria, 1960)

Andrew Foster with students and a couple of teachers at his mission school in Goma, Congo. 1985. Without Andrew Foster, there would not have been any opportunity for these fortunate young children to attend school.

Mentoring Future Deaf Leaders, Uganda, 1966

Andrew Foster with the first students enrolled in the Ghana Mission School for the Deaf, the first school he established in Africa. (Accra, Ghana. 1957)

Andrew Foster with teachers and students of the Ecole Ephatha Pour Les Sourds-Muet. (Bobo Dioulasso, Mali, 1983)

[Note: The city of Bobo-Dioulasso is in Burkina Faso. Dr. Agboola corrects this elsewhere in his notes.]

Andrew Foster with participants at the Conference on Education of the Deaf, which he organized to bring together educators and government officials from across the African continent. The objective of the conference was “to provide a medium for a free exchange of ideas and information on the problems of deafness as well as to form an association of educators in this field” . (Ibadan, Nigeria, December 19 – 24, 1965)

Andrew and Berta Foster, 1985.

Andrew at a leadership training conference held in, Ibadan, Nigeria, in 1986. He frequently organized training conferences for school and mission leaders, both deaf and hearing at his African headquarters located in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Deaf student-athletes at Ibadan Mission School for the Deaf, Nigeria, 1960.

Andrew Foster with a group after church services in Kinshasa, Congo, 1979. This picture illustrates Andrew Foster’s well-known accessibility to the deaf population he served. Notice how the young man next to Andrew casually placed his hand on Andrew’s shoulder.