A. P. Lutali
2nd & 4th Governor of American Samoa
In office
January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1997
LieutenantTauese Sunia
Preceded byPeter Tali Coleman
Succeeded byTauese Sunia
In office
January 3, 1985 – January 2, 1989
LieutenantEni Faleomavaega
Preceded byPeter Tali Coleman
Succeeded byPeter Tali Coleman
Delegate at-large of American Samoa
In office
January 3, 1975 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byA. U. Fuimaono
Succeeded byFofō Sunia
Personal details
Born
Aifili Paulo Lutali

(1919-12-24)December 24, 1919
Aunu'u, American Samoa, U.S.
DiedAugust 1, 2002(2002-08-01) (aged 82)
Pago Pago, American Samoa, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1954)​
Children9
EducationUniversity of Hawaii, Manoa

Aifili Paulo Lauvao (December 24, 1919 – August 1, 2002), was twice governor of American Samoa (1985–1989, 1993–1997). The founder of the U.S territory's Democratic Party, he had a long career in the legislature and the judiciary in American Samoa.

Governor Lutali was a preservationist who wanted to preserve large areas of the territory's nature. Lutali also worked to preserve American Samoa's ancient sites and historical buildings. He revitalized the Historic Preservation Office.[1]

Biography

Education

From 1951 to 1954, Lutali served as administrative supervisor for public schools. He was chairman of the Samoan Culture Curriculum Committee from 1952 to 1954, a member of the Board of Education from 1955 to 1958, and chairman of the first American Samoa Board of Higher Education, which established the American Samoa Community College, Mapusaga, in 1974. He was admitted to practice in the High Court of American Samoa in 1954 and was one of the founders of the American Samoa Bar Association in 1972. He was appointed a permanent judge of the high court in 1972,[2] and later as chief judge of the Lands and Titles Division.

Political career

Lutali was elected to the American Samoa House of Representatives in 1955 and served as its speaker in 1955–58. He was a member of the 1966 Constitutional Convention and was American Samoa's Delegate to Congress from 1975 to 1979.[3][4] He was elected to the American Samoa Senate in 1977 and was elected its president in his first year, serving in the senate concurrent to his four-year term as delegate. He ran unsuccessfully for Governor in the 1977 American Samoan gubernatorial election, losing to Peter Tali Coleman.[5][6] In 1978 he announced he would not seek another term as delegate.[7]

He was first elected governor of American Samoa in 1984 and lost his bid for a second term in 1988. In 1989, he was returned by his district (Sa'ole) to the Senate where he served as chairman of the Committee on Government Operations until he was again elected governor in 1992.[8] Lutali played a key role in working with Samoan chiefs and the U.S. Congress to create the 50th national park of the United States in American Samoa. He lost his bid for a third term as governor in the 1996 elections.[9]

Death

Lutali suffered a stroke and was admitted to LBJ Medical Center. He died on August 1, 2002.[10]

Legacy

The A. P. Lutali Elementary School on the island of Aunu'u is named in his honor. The A P Lutali Executive Office Building in Utulei is also named after him.[11]

Sources

References

  1. ↑ Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag. Island Heritage. Page 200. ISBN 9780896103399.
  2. ↑ "People". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 43, no. 1. 1 January 1972. p. 28. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. ↑ "A.P. Lutali".
  4. ↑ Delegate from American Samoa to the U.S. Congress: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on National Parks and Insular Affairs of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, House of Representatives, Ninety-fifth Congress, Second Session, on H.R. 13702 ... August 8, 1978. U.S. Government Printing Office. 1978.
  5. ↑ "New Governor for Samoa". Papua New Guinea Post-Courier. 28 November 1977. p. 8. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ↑ "Home-grown governor for the Samoans". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 49, no. 1. 1 January 1978. p. 30. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "People". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 49, no. 12. 1 December 1978. p. 69-70. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ↑ "Democrats make clean sweep in US territorial elections". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 62, no. 12. 1 December 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "US flag Islands kick around incumbents". Pacific Islands Monthly. Vol. 66, no. 12. 1 December 1996. p. 22-23. Retrieved 1 July 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Former American Samoa governor Lutali dies". RNZ. 2 August 2002. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
  11. ↑ "Plan to tear down AP Lutali EOB under discussion". AmerikaSamoa. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 1 July 2022.
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