Phillip O. Foss

Foss served as consultant on natural resources issues for the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior (1964–65, 1969) during preparation of the National Recreation Survey of the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review Commission, and to the National Academy of Sciences (1969–70).

Foss was recipient of an Outstanding Dissertation Award (1957) from the American Society for Public Administration; and Outstanding Service Award from San Francisco State College (1960), a Distinguished Service Award from Colorado State University (1970), was elected to the Executive Council of the Western Political Science Association (1967–69), served as its Vice President (1970–71) and President (1972–73), and was listed in both Who’s Who in America 1988-89 and Who’s Who in the World 1990-91.

Foss began his academic career as an instructor at the University of Oregon in (1955–57); was Assistant Professor (1957–61) and Associate Professor (1961–62) at San Francisco State College; Associate Professor (1962–64) and Professor (1964–1972) at Colorado State University. He chaired the Department of Political Science at Colorado State University (1965–72) and its Natural Resources Center (1964–67), and was the driving force behind establishment of its doctoral program in Environmental Politics and Policy with Henry P. Caulfield, Jr. and Norman I. Wengert.

Foss joined the United States Army Air Corps in 1942 and served in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War (1942–46), and in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War (1951–53), retiring as lieutenant colonel. He received several awards and commendations, including the U.S. Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Service Medal and a Commendation Medal. On the 50th anniversary of the Korean War, Foss received the Korean War Service Medal.

Phillip Foss is perhaps best known for his early cases studies of the role of local grazing advisory committees established by the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 in regulating the grazing of livestock on federal public lands. Foss found that such committees were often dominated by the same ranchers and cattlemen whose activities were supposed to be regulated. Foss often said it was probably the most frequently checked out (and most rapidly returned) university library book in the 1960s.

Foss graduated from Medicine Lake High School in Montana in 1933, received a teaching certificate from the University of Montana in 1936, and at age 19 began teaching grade school. He married Dorothy Marie Hansen in 1941 and they raised four children, celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary in 2001. In 1947 he received a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Washington, completing his master's degree in 1953 and Ph.D. in political science at the University of Oregon in 1956.

Phillip Oliver Foss (May 18, 1916 – October 14, 2001) an American political scientist, was born in Maxbass, North Dakota to Oliver Foss and Petra Elton Foss and died in Fort Collins, Colorado. He was a decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean War; was employed in public service with the U.S. Department of the Interior; helped establish the doctoral program in Environmental Politics and Policy at Colorado State University; published numerous scholarly books, research monographs, journal articles and chapters in anthologies; served as a consultant to government agencies, and received numerous awards and honors, including listings in both Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World.