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Peter Coleman
1st & 3rd Governor of American Samoa
In office January 2, 1989 – January 3, 1993
Lieutenant
Galea'i Poumele Gaioi Galeai
Preceded by
A. P. Lutali
Succeeded by
A. P. Lutali
In office January 3, 1978 – January 3, 1985
Lieutenant
Tufele Liamatua
Preceded by
Rex Lee
Succeeded by
A. P. Lutali
Appointed Governor of American Samoa
In office October 15, 1956 – May 24, 1961
Preceded by
Richard Lowe
Succeeded by
Rex Lee
High Commissioner of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands Acting
In office July 1, 1976 – July 9, 1977
Preceded by
Edward E. Johnston
Succeeded by
Adrian P. Winkel
1st Attorney General of American Samoa
In office June 1955 – October 15, 1956
Governor
Richard Lowe
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
Owen Aspinall
Personal details
Born
(1919-12-08)December 8, 1919 Pago Pago, American Samoa, U.S.
Died
April 28, 1997(1997-04-28) (aged 77) Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Political party
Republican
Spouse
Nora Stewart
(m. 1941)
Children
13, including Amata
Education
Georgetown University (BA, LLB)
Military service
Allegiance
United States
Branch/service
United States Army
Rank
Captain
Battles/wars
World War II
Peter Tali Coleman (December 8, 1919 – April 28, 1997) was an American Samoan politician and lawyer. Coleman was the first and only person of Samoan descent to be appointed governor of American Samoa between 1956 and 1961 and later became the territory's first and third popularly elected governor from 1978 to 1985 and 1989 to 1993, serving a total of three elected terms.[1] In between, he had served in different administrative positions for Pacific islands.
Born to an American navy officer and a native mother in American Samoa, he grew up there and in Hawaii and participated in World War II, before becoming a lawyer and then returning to American Samoa to practice law there. In 1955 he was briefly appointed by the Republican federal government as the first Attorney General of American Samoa and then became governor in 1956. During his first administration, Coleman chaired the convention that drafted the Constitution of American Samoa, containing the bill of rights and providing protection for Samoans against alienation of their lands and loss of their culture. His administration also laid the foundation for the American Samoa Fono legislature and produced the official seal and flag of American Samoa.[2][3][4] When the Democrats overtook the federal government, he was replaced and appointed to different administrative positions for Pacific islands.
He came back to American Samoa once more in 1977 to run for the first gubernatorial election of the territory. After American Samoans had finally approved electing their own governor in that year, he was elected the first and third governor in 1977, 1980, and 1988 over his Democratic rival A. P. Lutali each time, losing against him in 1992. He also was the founding chairman of the territory's Republican Party, serving from 1985 to 1988.[5] To this date he has been the only Republican governor ever of American Samoa.
Coleman's career spanned over the entire second half of the 20th century. He is the only governor in the United States whose service spanned five decades and one of the longest-serving governors of any jurisdiction in American history.[6][7] He was a recipient of the 1997 American Samoan Governor's Humanitarian Award and gained the chiefly title Uifa’atali from his home village of Pago Pago.[8] The Peter Tali Coleman Lecture on Pacific Public Policy has been a part of the Pacific Islands Project at Georgetown University, where Coleman received his degree.[9][10] In 1978, he received an Honorary Doctorate from Chaminade University of Honolulu and in 1970 one from the University of Guam.[3]
^Craig, Robert D. (2010). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia. Scarecrow Press. Page 51. ISBN 9781461659389.
^"SAMOA DEPUTY PM MISA EXPLORES SOLUTIONS TO GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION | Pacific Islands Report".
^ ab"Congressional Record Extensions of Remarks Articles".
^"Our District". December 4, 2012.
^Pace, Eric (May 1997). "Peter Coleman, 77, Governor of American Samoa". The New York Times.
^"Biography". December 11, 2012.
^Gay, Roxane (2019). The Women of the 116th Congress: Portraits of Power. The New York Times. Page 28. Abrams. ISBN 9781683357810.
^Craig, Robert D. (2002). Historical Dictionary of Polynesia. Scarecrow Press. Page 43. ISBN 9780810842373.
^"GEORGETOWN PACIFIC PROJECT FORMALLY ESTABLISHED | Pacific Islands Report".
^"Guam's Underwood at Peter Tali Coleman Lecture of Pacific Public Policy". November 23, 2017.
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Global Information
United States
United States Army
Captain