Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame Selects 2024 Inductees
By Michael D. Morgan
A trailblazing computer scientist, an accomplished historian and an outstanding businessman will formally join the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame at an induction ceremony on September 17 at The Club in Birmingham.
Clyde Foster (1931 – 2017) was born in Birmingham and educated in the public school system. Upon graduation from Alabama A&M University (AAMU) in 1954, Foster was drafted into, the U.S. Army where he served two years, one year stateside and the other in Germany. Returning home to Alabama, he began his career teaching science in the Dallas County School System.
Foster then returned to the Huntsville area accepting a position with the Army Ballistic Missile Agency as a mathematician technician. He transferred to NASA, at the Marshall Space Flight Center in 1960. Foster was one of only about a dozen African Americans working in a technical field in the space program. One of his culminating roles was work on the Apollo missions. In his nearly 30 years at NASA, Foster played a significant role in diversifying NASA and helped to transform Huntsville into a desirable and progressive place to live and work.
From 1968-1970, Foster was placed on loan from NASA to AAMU as director of the Computer Science Department to establish a Data Processing Laboratory and an undergraduate degree program in computer science. Foster's landmark computer science center enabled students to train for and graduate with a computer science degree, the first such degree offered in Alabama.
In civic affairs, Foster was instrumental in re-establishing the Triana, Alabama, town charter and served as the town’s mayor for 20 years. He also served on the Alabama Commission on Higher Education from 1974 until 1988. Foster was a champion of public education and played an integral role in forming the independent Madison City School System. Across his lifetime Foster received many awards and honors. The Clyde Foster Auditorium at Alabama A&M University bears his name in recognition of the impact of his life.
Milo Barrett Howard Jr. (1933 – 1981) served as the Alabama Department of Archives and History’s fourth director from 1967 until he died in 1981. Howard is remembered as a consummate Southern gentleman with an encyclopedic memory revered for advancing the cause of historic preservation in Alabama, both as the inaugural State Historic Preservation Officer and as co-founder of the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery.
Born and raised in Montgomery, a love of history was instilled in Howard at a young age by his mother and grandmother. Howard graduated from Sidney Lanier High School and continued his studies at Auburn University, graduating in 1955 with a triple major in history, English, and foreign languages. While in college, Howard took a summer job with the Alabama Department of Archives and History that would impact his future. Howard continued working at the Archives through the remainder of his undergraduate studies.
He then served for two years with the U.S. Army Reserves, achieving the rank of Lieutenant and specializing in military intelligence. After his discharge, Howard returned to Auburn University to pursue a master's degree in history. His part-time work at the Archives resumed and, in 1958, he was hired by the agency's director, Peter Brannon, in a full-time archival position. When Brannon died in January 1967, the Archives Board of Trustees immediately designated Howard as the agency's fourth director. His directorship lasted for the rest of his life and was marked by observances of the Alabama Sesquicentennial in 1969 and the United States Bicentennial in 1976.
Owing to the dozens of historic lectures he delivered across Alabama, Howard was renowned statewide as a man of great intellect, exceptional memory, and wise counsel. His profile was further elevated through the receipt of such awards and honors as the Montgomery Junior Chamber of Commerce's Distinguished Service Award in 1968, and an honorary doctorate from Livingston University (now the University of West Alabama) in 1978.
Marvin L. Mann (1933 – 2022) was born in Springdale, Alabama on April 22, 1933, and is remembered for his impact on business, community service, and philanthropy. As a first-generation college student who often hitchhiked to campus, he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting, economics, and office management from Samford University (then Howard College). After graduation, Mann served in the United States Navy. After being honorably discharged, he earned a master’s degree in marketing and economics from the University of Alabama.
In 1958 Mann joined IBM becoming Vice President. During his 32 years at IBM he is particularly remembered for his key role in developing the Universal Product Code alongside major retailers and manufacturers. Since its introduction in 1974, this familiar barcode symbology has been used worldwide for tracking trade items in stores. At IBM, Mann served as general manager of the IBM typewriter business, laying the foundation for the development of products ranging from typewriters to computer printers, Then, as president of the IBM Information Products Division, he led the development and manufacturing of typewriters, printers, copiers, ATMs and numerous other banking systems used in businesses worldwide.
After he retired from IBM in 1991, Mr. Mann worked with the private equity firm Clayton,
Dubilier & Rice, in the purchase of IBM's desktop printer and typewriter business. Additionally, Mann served as president and CEO of the Satellite Business Systems Company, a large partnership of IBM, Aetna Casualty, and the Communications Satellite Corporation. Satellite Business Systems is a communications company that places satellites into space and enables the expansion of wireless networks. Mann then became chairman, CEO, and investor in the company, Lexmark International, which became a "highly competitive, high growth" computer printer company listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In 2010, Mr. Mann retired as chairman emeritus of Lexmark.
Mann was named Alumnus of the Year at Samford University and later was the first recipient of the university's Ethics-in-Business Award (later named the Marvin Mann Ethics-in-Business Award). He also received the Doctor of Commerce (honoris causa) degree from Samford. Mann continued to support academics and serve both the University of Alabama and Samford University in many ways. After his retirement, Lexmark created a $250,000 scholarship fund in Mr. Mann's name. In addition to many other financial gifts to Samford University, Mr. Mann and his estate awarded $100 million towards student scholarships and to support the Francis Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership. This bequest ranks as the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the State of Alabama.
The induction ceremony luncheon is set for Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 11:30 a.m. at The Club in Birmingham. For further information and reservations, call 205-706-1289.
Founded by the state legislature in 1987, the Alabama Men’s Hall of Fame recognizes men "whose lives have impacted the state, nation, and world." Honorees must have been deceased for two years. Hall board members represent Alabama's seven congressional districts. The Women’s Committee of 100 for Birmingham sponsors the program. The Hall of Fame is located on the third floor of Samford University’s Harwell Goodwin Davis Library. The Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame is at the University of West Alabama in Livingston.