Honoring the Legacy of America’s Happiest Warrior—Foster Friess (1940-2021)

I remember walking through the Tampa Convention Center in search of hope—a reason to keep going. Bill Montgomery & I walked through stairwell after stairwell until I saw a familiar face with a cowboy hat. I recognized him from the news—it was Foster Friess. I immediately came up to him and introduced myself. I was 18 at the time and Turning Point USA had zero donors, no real presence, and I was just a kid from Chicago with a dream & energy to try and change the world. Foster warmly greeted me and told me the way to remember his name was that you have a Fosters Beer & a pile of fries, then add an “S” to it.
For those who knew Foster, that intro makes perfect sense. We got to talking, and instead of brushing me off the way almost everyone else did, we kept talking. He told me his current portfolio of jokes, his favorite Bible verses, and asked me what I wanted to do with my life. I clumsily told him the vision I had for TPUSA and how I felt young people needed to hear the conservative message. We exchanged business cards and Foster told me we would be in touch.
A few weeks later he sent Turning Point USA $10,000. It was our first investment. From there, Foster remained a steady & charming influence on my life. He was always encouraging me to be a better person, act with civility, and try to seek peace with my enemies. He generously supported TPUSA time and time again, shocking the world when he would go up on stage and offer a match of millions of dollars if the room could step up to his level. He inspired generosity in all people.

I have thousands of stories I could share of Foster: His disgust for abbreviations without explaining what they mean, his commitment to only one person talking at a time at dinner, his unlimited inventory of jokes, his smile that was built for Hollywood, his love for Lynn, his flair for the unpredictable, his unmatched generosity, his humble beginnings, his love for America, and his reverence for his closest friends.
We all miss you, Foster. Our TPUSA events won’t be the same without the man with the cowboy hat coming in elegantly with the one million dollar smile. It won’t be the same without you charming the waiter and giving them your card asking them to check out your recent commentary on price transparency. It is now up to us to continue your larger-than-life commitment to the best of our nature.
As founder of Turning Point USA, on behalf of our team, our chapter leaders and members, and all who have emphatically supported us over the years, we will always be grateful for Foster’s contagious joy, his happy warrior spirit, and his unwavering support of our entire movement. We will continue to make it our mission to live up to his larger-than-life legacy every single day. We miss you Foster, we pray we will never let you down.
