This is a list of governors of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900.
From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the federal government of the United States. Since that time they have been elected for 4-year terms by the people of American Samoa.
History When the Department of the Interior sent four governors in a three-year period, local Samoans began advocating for choosing their own governors. In the late 1940s, a Navy Governor, as well as an Interior Governor, had expressed their beliefs that High Orator Chief Tuiasosopo would be a suitable governor. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed Peter Tali Coleman as Governor of American Samoa, the first person of Samoan descent to occupy that role. Coleman, a member of the Republican Party, was a U.S. Army officer with a law degree from Georgetown University. After his presidential appointment, local residents became increasingly aware that Samoans can do the job just as good as the federal government, which until now had appointed governors to the islands. Soon local lawmakers such as Governor Owen Aspinall and H. Rex Lee favored the idea of locals being elected governors. On the other side was Governor John Morse Haydon, who openly opposed the idea. An administrative judge criticized Haydon and following a Pago Pago hearing, the Department of the Interior began distancing itself from Haydon and soon replaced him with a new governor. The concept of an elected governor was proposed with Senate Bill 20 and a Gubernatorial Commission was created in order to consider ways to implement the concept of electing governors.Sunia, Fofō I. F. (1998). The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa: In Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee 1948-1998. Pago Pago, AS: Legislature of American Samoa. Pages 236-237. .
In a 1977 article from the New York Times, it describes how opposition to an appointed Governor began with the appointment of Earl B. Ruth. Within eighteen months, the congressman from North Carolina had removed several Samoans in administrative posts, who had been appointed by former Governor John Morse Haydon. Governor Ruth was soon recalled to Washington, DC and was later quoted for having called Samoans "lazy, thieving liars." After having turned down the proposal to elect their own Governor in three plebiscites, American Samoans in a 1976 referendum overwhelmingly approved the measure in which allowed them to elect that official. The first popularly elected Governor was Peter Tali Coleman that same year.“GOVERNOR IS ELECTED IN AMERICAN SAMOA: Peter Coleman Is the First to Be Picked by Ballot - Leaders Were Named By U.S. for 77 Years.” New York Times (Nov. 24, 1977). Page 38.
Te'o J. Fuavai was one of the earliest proponents of the movement to elect governors in American Samoa, as opposed to governors being appointed by the federal government. Fuavai sponsored a resolution that proposed the Department of the Interior to permit elections.Sunia, Fofō I. F. (1998). The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa: In Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee 1948-1998. Pago Pago, AS: Legislature of American Samoa. Page 271. .
Appointed governors (1900–1978)
Naval administrators (1900–1951) Term Portrait Incumbent Notes February 17, 1900 – November 27, 1901Benjamin Franklin Tilley, CommandantNovember 27, 1901 – December 16, 1902Uriel Sebree, CommandantDecember 16, 1902 – May 5, 1903Henry Minett, acting CommandantMay 5, 1903 – January 30, 1905Edmund Beardsley Underwood, Commandant/GovernorJanuary 30, 1905 – May 21, 1908Charles Brainard Taylor Moore, GovernorMay 21, 1908 – November 10, 1910John Frederick Parker, GovernorNovember 10, 1910 – March 14, 1913William Michael Crose, GovernorMarch 14 – July 14, 1913Nathan Post, acting GovernorFirst termJuly 14, 1913 – October 2, 1914Clark Daniel Stearns, GovernorOctober 2, 1914 – December 6, 1914Nathan Post, acting Governor Second termDecember 6, 1914 – March 1, 1915Charles Armijo Woodruff, acting GovernorMarch 1, 1915 – June 10, 1919John Martin Poyer, GovernorJune 10, 1919 – November 3, 1920Warren Terhune, Governor Committed suicideNovember 11, 1920 – March 1, 1922Waldo A. Evans, GovernorMarch 1, 1922 – September 4, 1923Edwin Taylor Pollock, GovernorSeptember 4, 1923 – March 17, 1925Edward Stanley Kellogg, GovernorMarch 17, 1925 – September 9, 1927Henry Francis Bryan, GovernorSeptember 9, 1927 – August 2, 1929Stephen Victor Graham, GovernorAugust 2, 1929 – March 24, 1931Gatewood Lincoln, Governor First termMarch 24 – April 22, 1931James Sutherland Spore, acting GovernorApril 22 – July 17, 1931Arthur Emerson, acting GovernorJuly 17, 1931 – May 12, 1932Gatewood Lincoln, Governor Second termMay 12, 1932 – April 10, 1934George Landenberger, GovernorApril 10–17, 1934Thomas C. Latimore, acting GovernorApril 17, 1934 – January 15, 1936Otto Dowling, GovernorJanuary 15–20, 1936Thomas Benjamin Fitzpatrick, acting GovernorJanuary 20, 1936 – June 3, 1938MacGillivray Milne, GovernorJune 26, 1938 – July 30, 1940Edward Hanson, GovernorJuly 30 – August 8, 1940Jesse Wallace, acting GovernorAugust 8, 1940 – June 5, 1942Laurence Wild, GovernorJune 5, 1942 – February 8, 1944John Gould Moyer, GovernorFebruary 8, 1944 – January 27, 1945Allen Hobbs, GovernorJanuaryRalph Hungerford, GovernorSeptember 3–10, 1945Samuel Canan, acting GovernorSeptember 10, 1945 – April 22, 1947Harold Houser, GovernorApril 22, 1947 – June 15, 1949Vernon Huber, GovernorJuly 7, 1949 – February 23, 1951Thomas Darden, Governor
Civilian governors (1951–1978) Portrait Governor Took office Left office Party Phelps Phelps February 23, 1951 June 20, 1952 Republican John C. Elliott July 16, 1952 November 23, 1952 Democratic James Arthur Ewing November 28, 1952 March 4, 1953 Democratic Lawrence M. Judd March 4, 1953 August 5, 1953 Republican Richard Barrett Lowe August 5, 1953 October 15, 1956 Republican Peter Tali Coleman October 13, 1956 May 24, 1961 Republican H. Rex Lee May 24, 1961 July 31, 1967 Democratic Owen Aspinall August 1, 1967 July 31, 1969 Democratic John Morse Haydon August 1, 1969 October 14, 1974 Republican Frank Mockler October 14, 1974 February 6, 1975 Republican Earl B. Ruth February 6, 1975 September 30, 1976 Republican Frank Barnett October 1, 1976 May 27, 1977 Republican H. Rex Lee May 28, 1977 January 3, 1978 Democratic
Elected governors (1978–present) S. No. Portrait Governor Tenure Party Elected Lieutenant Governor 1 Peter Tali Coleman January 3, 1978–January 3, 1985 Republican 19771980 Tufele Liamatua 2 A. P. Lutali January 3, 1985–January 2, 1989 Democratic 1984 Eni Faleomavaega 3 Peter Tali Coleman January 2, 1989–January 3, 1993 Republican 1988 Galea'i Peni Poumele Gaioi Tufele Galeai 4 A. P. Lutali January 3, 1993–January 3, 1997 Democratic 1992 Tauese Sunia 5 Tauese Sunia January 3, 1997–March 26, 2003 Democratic 19962000 Togiola Tulafono – Togiola Tulafono March 26, 2003–April 7, 2003 Democratic 20042008 Himself 6 April 7, 2003–January 3, 2013 Faoa Aitofele Sunia 7 Lolo Matalasi MoligaJanuary 3, 2013–January 3, 2021 Independent 20122016 Lemanu Peleti Mauga Democratic 8 Lemanu Peleti Mauga January 3, 2021–January 3, 2025 Democratic 2020 Eleasalo Ale 9 Pula Nikolao Pula January 3, 2025–present Republican 2024 Pulu Ae Ae Jr.
Succession
See also List of American Samoa Fono
References