Preceded by A. P. Lutali Succeeded by A. P. Lutali Preceded by H. Rex Lee Battles and wars World War II | Lieutenant Tufele Liamatua Party Republican Party Succeeded by A. P. Lutali Name Peter Coleman Children Amata Coleman Radewagen | |
 | ||
Lieutenant Galea'i Peni Poumele
(1989–1992)
None (1992–1993) Died April 28, 1997, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States Education Georgetown University, Saint Louis School | ||
Service/branch United States Army | ||
Peter Tali Coleman (December 8, 1919 – April 28, 1997) was the first person of Samoan descent to be appointed Governor of American Samoa and later became the territory's first popularly elected governor. A member of the Republican Party, he is the only U.S. governor whose service spanned five decades (1956–1961, 1978–1985 and 1989–1993) and one of the longest-serving governors of any jurisdiction in American history.
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Early life and career
Born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, Coleman graduated from Saint Louis School in Honolulu, Hawaii. He later joined the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of captain during World War II. He received his law degree from Georgetown University, and served in American Samoa both as a public defender and as the territory's attorney general.
Coleman was appointed governor of American Samoa in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower. At the conclusion of his term, he served a variety of positions in the Pacific Islands, including:
In 1977, Coleman became the first popularly elected governor of American Samoa. He was subsequently elected in 1980 and 1988.
Death and legacy
Coleman died in 1997 in Honolulu after a two-year struggle with liver cancer.
In 2014, his daughter Aumua Amata Radewagen, was elected Delegate to represent American Samoa in the United States House of Representatives.