Richard Foster joined SRI in the early 1950s and in his 30-year career provided leadership and expertise that created high prestige and international visibility for SRI. Foster brought together experts in economics and technology to better understand and develop national strategy. This team developed into SRI's Strategic Studies Center (SSC), which worked closely with the Engineering Research Group. SSC’s multidisciplinary strengths gave it an advantage with high-level Washington clients.
Foster’s first assignment was to provide support to the US Army's Operations Research Office at Johns Hopkins University. SRI's contribution grew and the Army decided to support SRI directly. Foster’s work led him into increasingly important programs that brought him into frequent contact with senior level Army staff. He received the Army's Certificate of Appreciation for his “...pioneering effort on the critical problems of the US air defense, strategic deterrence, and national survival.”
Foster's work in air defense led to new assignments in the defense against ballistic missile attack. His group received contracts to study overseas deployment of air and missile defense systems, which entailed extensive investigations of Soviet capabilities. This work was considered so important that its oversight was transferred directly to the Army's Office of the Chief of Staff. The success of this program brought new clients, including the Department of State, CIA, and the Atomic Energy Commission. SSC’s multidisciplinary knowledge also led it into increasingly controversial work, including the proposed Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) defense program (Star Wars). Foster was invited to develop and manage a seminar at SRI (the Teller Symposium) where experts could debate the issues of the Star Wars program.
Richard Foster continued to lead SSC into important areas of research that focused on the ability of our government to function during war. With the breakup of AT&T, Foster's people recommended establishing the National Strategic Telecommunication Advisory Committee, which is still an important part of the National Infrastructure Protection program.
Under Richard Foster, the SSC gave SRI a reputation for being an important contributor to the development of national policy and strategy that continues to be widely recognized today.