List of governors of American Samoa

This is a list of governors, etc. 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.<ref>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. Template:ISBN.</ref>

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.<ref>“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.</ref>

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.<ref>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. Template:ISBN.</ref>

Appointed governors (1900–1978)

Naval administrators (1900–1951)

Term	Portrait	Incumbent	Notes
February 17, 1900 – November 27, 1901	File:Benjamin Franklin Tilley - NH 67313.jpg	Benjamin Franklin Tilley, Commandant	Template:Small
November 27, 1901 – December 16, 1902	File:Uriel Sebree.jpg	Uriel Sebree, Commandant
December 16, 1902 – May 5, 1903	File:Henry Minett 1877.jpg	Henry Minett, acting Commandant
May 5, 1903 – January 30, 1905	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Edmund Beardsley Underwood, Commandant/Governor	Template:Small
January 30, 1905 – May 21, 1908	File:Charles Brainard Taylor Moore.png	Charles Brainard Taylor Moore, Governor
May 21, 1908 – November 10, 1910	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	John Frederick Parker, Governor
November 10, 1910 – March 14, 1913	File:William Michael Crose.jpg	William Michael Crose, Governor	Template:Small
March 14 – July 14, 1913	File:Nathan W. Post.png	Nathan Post, acting Governor	First term
July 14, 1913 – October 2, 1914	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Clark Daniel Stearns, Governor
October 2, 1914 – December 6, 1914	File:Nathan W. Post.png	Nathan Post, acting Governor	Second term
December 6, 1914 – March 1, 1915	File:Charles Armijo Woodruff.jpg	Charles Armijo Woodruff, acting Governor
March 1, 1915 – June 10, 1919	File:John Martin Poyer.jpg	John Martin Poyer, Governor
June 10, 1919 – November 3, 1920	File:Warren J. Terhune (US Navy officer).png	Warren Terhune, Governor	Committed suicide
November 11, 1920 – March 1, 1922	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Waldo A. Evans, Governor
March 1, 1922 – September 4, 1923	File:EdwinTaylorPollock.jpg	Edwin Taylor Pollock, Governor
September 4, 1923 – March 17, 1925	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Edward Stanley Kellogg, Governor
March 17, 1925 – September 9, 1927	File:Henry F. Bryan.jpg	Henry Francis Bryan, Governor
September 9, 1927 – August 2, 1929	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Stephen Victor Graham, Governor	Template:Small
August 2, 1929 – March 24, 1931		Gatewood Lincoln, Governor	First term
March 24 – April 22, 1931		James Sutherland Spore, acting Governor
April 22 – July 17, 1931		Arthur Emerson, acting Governor
July 17, 1931 – May 12, 1932		Gatewood Lincoln, Governor	Second term
May 12, 1932 – April 10, 1934		George Landenberger, Governor
April 10–17, 1934	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Thomas C. Latimore, acting Governor
April 17, 1934 – January 15, 1936	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Otto Dowling, Governor
January 15–20, 1936	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Thomas Benjamin Fitzpatrick, acting Governor
January 20, 1936 – June 3, 1938	File:MacGillivray Milne head.jpg	MacGillivray Milne, Governor
June 26, 1938 – July 30, 1940	File:Edward W. Hanson.jpg	Edward Hanson, Governor
July 30 – August 8, 1940	File:Jesse Rink Wallace.jpg	Jesse Wallace, acting Governor
August 8, 1940 – June 5, 1942	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Laurence Wild, Governor	Template:Small
June 5, 1942 – February 8, 1944	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	John Gould Moyer, Governor
February 8, 1944 – January 27, 1945	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Allen Hobbs, Governor
January	File:Captain Ralph Waldo Hungerford.jpg	Ralph Hungerford, Governor
September 3–10, 1945	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Samuel Canan, acting Governor
September 10, 1945 – April 22, 1947	File:Seal of American Samoa.svg	Harold Houser, Governor
April 22, 1947 – June 15, 1949	File:Vernon Huber.jpg	Vernon Huber, Governor
July 7, 1949 – February 23, 1951	File:Thomas Darden.jpg	Thomas Darden, Governor

Civilian governors (1951–1978)

Portrait	Governor		Took office	Left office	Party
File:Phelps Phelps.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Phelps Phelps Template:Small	February 23, 1951	June 20, 1952	Republican
File:John Elliott.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	John C. Elliott Template:Small	July 16, 1952	November 23, 1952	Democratic
File:No image.png	style="background: Template:Party color" |	James Arthur Ewing Template:Small	November 28, 1952	March 4, 1953	Democratic
File:Lawrence M. Judd (PP-74-3-007).jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Lawrence M. Judd Template:Small	March 4, 1953	August 5, 1953	Republican
File:Richard Barrett Lowe.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Richard Barrett Lowe Template:Small	August 5, 1953	October 15, 1956	Republican
File:Peter Tali Coleman.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Peter Tali Coleman Template:Small	October 13, 1956	May 24, 1961	Republican
File:Hyrum Rex Lee.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	H. Rex Lee Template:Small	May 24, 1961	July 31, 1967	Democratic
File:Owen Aspinall.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Owen Aspinall Template:Small	August 1, 1967	July 31, 1969	Democratic
File:No image.png	style="background: Template:Party color" |	John Morse Haydon Template:Small	August 1, 1969	October 14, 1974	Republican
File:No image.png	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Frank Mockler Template:Small Template:Small	October 14, 1974	February 6, 1975	Republican
File:Earl B. Ruth.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Earl B. Ruth Template:Small	February 6, 1975	September 30, 1976	Republican
File:No image.png	style="background: Template:Party color" |	Frank Barnett Template:Small	October 1, 1976	May 27, 1977	Republican
File:Hyrum Rex Lee.jpg	style="background: Template:Party color" |	H. Rex Lee Template:Small	May 28, 1977	January 3, 1978	Democratic

Elected governors (1978–present)

S. No.	Portrait	Governor		Tenure	Party	Elected	Lieutenant Governor
1	File:Peter Tali Coleman.jpg		Peter Tali Coleman Template:Small	January 3, 1978 – January 3, 1985	Republican	1977 1980		Tufele Liamatua
2	File:AP Lutali.jpg		A. P. Lutali Template:Small	January 3, 1985 – January 2, 1989	Democratic	1984		Eni Faleomavaega
3	File:Peter Tali Coleman.jpg		Peter Tali Coleman Template:Small	January 2, 1989 – January 3, 1993	Republican	1988		Galea'i Peni Poumele
								Gaioi Tufele Galeai
4	File:AP Lutali.jpg		A. P. Lutali Template:Small	January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997	Democratic	1992		Tauese Sunia
5	File:GovSunia.jpg		Tauese Sunia Template:Small	January 3, 1997 – March 26, 2003	Democratic	1996 2000		Togiola Tulafono
–	File:Togiola Tulafono.jpg		Togiola Tulafono Template:Small	March 26, 2003 – April 7, 2003	Democratic	2004 2008		Himself
6				April 7, 2003 – January 3, 2013				Faoa Aitofele Sunia
7	File:Lolo Moliga by James Kneubuhl.jpg		Lolo Matalasi Moliga Template:Small	January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2021	Independent	2012 2016		Lemanu Peleti Mauga
					Democratic
8	File:Lemanu Peleti Mauga (cropped).png		Lemanu Peleti Mauga Template:Small	January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2025	Democratic	2020		Eleasalo Ale
9	File:Governor of American Samoa Pulaali'i Tuiteleleapaga Iuli Nikolao Pula.jpg		Pula Nikolao Pula Template:Small	January 3, 2025 – present	Republican	2024		Pulu Ae Ae Jr.

Succession

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See also

• List of American Samoa Fono