Paul Frederick Foster (March 25, 1889 – January 30, 1972) was a highly decorated officer in the United States Navy with the rank of vice admiral.

A graduate of the Naval Academy at Annapolis, he distinguished himself during the Battle of Veracruz in April 1914 and received Medal of Honor, the United States of America's highest and most-prestigious personal military decoration.

[4] He graduated as Passed Midshipman with Bachelor of Science degree in June 1911 and was attached to the armored cruiser Washington, operating in the Caribbean.

Foster served aboard Washington until December that year, when he was transferred to the newly commissioned battleship Utah, under Captain William S. Benson.

While en route to Mexico on April 16, Utah was ordered to intercept the German-flagged steamer SS Ypiranga, which was carrying arms to the Mexican dictator Victoriano Huerta.

Foster served as his executive officer and participated in maneuvers with the submarine flotilla off Newport, Rhode Island, and was promoted to lieutenant (junior grade) on March 7, 1915.

[5][3][6] Foster relieved McWhorter as commanding officer of the submarine in February 1916 and led her during the maneuvers with Atlantic Fleet off Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

[10][5][3][6] Following the Armistice, Foster was transferred to the staff of Commander, Division 2, Submarine Force, Atlantic Fleet, and served under Harold M. Bemis until late 1920, when he joined the protected cruiser San Francisco, under Captain Henry E. Lackey.

[11] In April 1924, Foster was ordered to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for duty in connection with the fitting out of the light cruiser Trenton and, upon her commissioning, he was appointed the ship's engineering officer under Captain Edward C. Kalbfus.

Foster took part in the shakedown cruise to the Mediterranean Sea and Port Said, Egypt; Aden, Arabia; and Bushehr, Persia, where the remains of the assassinated Vice Consul Robert Imbrie were taken aboard.

[12][13] By the end of October 1924, Trenton was conducting gunnery drills off the Virginia Capes near Norfolk, but powder bags in her forward turret exploded, killing or injuring every member of the gun crew.

Foster was detached in July 1927 and ordered back to New York City, where he was attached to the headquarters of Third Naval District, under Rear Admiral Charles P.

[3] Foster arrived to Balboa and after few weeks, he concluded that Rear Admiral Frank H. Sadler, commandant of the Fifteenth Naval District, was the main reason of the lack of effective cooperation with the Army.

Upon his return stateside, Foster was promoted to captain and was assigned to the Logistics Plans Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

[2][5] Following his second retirement from the Navy, Foster became vice president of Mandel Brothers, Inc., a department store company in Chicago, Illinois, and served in this capacity until late 1950.

[1][17][3] One month later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Foster Permanent U.S. Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, with headquarters in Vienna, Austria.