List of governors of American Samoa

This is a list of governors, etc. of the part of the Samoa islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900.

From 1900 to 1977 governors were appointed by the United States Government. Since that time they have been elected for 4-year terms by the people of American Samoa.

Commandant governors (1900–1905)

Term	Image	Incumbent	Notes
17 February 1900 to 27 November 1901		Benjamin Franklin Tilley, Commandant	17 April 1900: Tutuila ceded to United States
27 November 1901 to 16 December 1902		Uriel Sebree, Commandant
16 December 1902 to 5 May 1903		Henry Minett, acting Commandant
5 May 1903 to 30 January 1905		Edmund Beardsley Underwood, Commandant/Governor	16 July 1904: Manu'a ceded to United States

Naval governors (1905–1951)

Term	Incumbent	Notes
30 January 1905 to 21 May 1908		Charles Brainard Taylor Moore, Governor
21 May 1908 to 10 November 1910		John Frederick Parker, Governor
10 November 1910 to 14 March 1913		William Michael Crose, Governor	17 July 1911: U.S. Naval Station Tutuila renamed American Samoa
14 March 1913 to 14 July 1913		Nathan Woodworth Post, acting Governor	1st Term
14 July 1913 to 2 October 1914		Clark Daniel Stearns, Governor
2 October 1914 to 6 December 1914		Nathan Woodworth Post, acting Governor	2nd Term
6 December 1914 to 1 March 1915		Charles Armijo Woodruff, acting Governor
1 March 1915 to 10 June 1919		John Martin Poyer, Governor
10 June 1919 to 3 November 1920		Warren Jay Terhune, Governor
11 November 1920 to 1 March 1922		Waldo A. Evans, Governor
1 March 1922 to 4 September 1923		Edwin Taylor Pollock, Governor
4 September 1923 to 17 March 1925		Edward Stanley Kellogg, Governor
17 March 1925 to 9 September 1927		Henry Francis Bryan, Governor
9 September 1927 to 2 August 1929		Stephen Victor Graham, Governor	20 February 1929: U.S. Congress recognition of the cession of Tutuila and Manu'a by their chiefs, with retrospective to 16 July 1904
2 August 1929 to 24 March 1931		Gatewood Sanders Lincoln, Governor	1st Term
24 March 1931 to 22 April 1931		James Sutherland Spore, acting Governor
22 April 1931 to 17 July 1931		Arthur Tenney Emerson, acting Governor
17 July 1931 to 12 May 1932		Gatewood Sanders Lincoln, Governor	2nd Term
12 May 1932 to 10 April 1934		George Bertram Landenberger, Governor
10 April 1934 to 17 April 1934		Thomas C. Latimore, acting Governor
17 April 1934 to 15 January 1936		Otto Carl Dowling, Governor
15 January 1936 to 20 January 1936		Thomas Benjamin Fitzpatrick, acting Governor
20 January 1936 to 3 June 1938		MacGillivray Milne, Governor
26 June 1938 to 30 July 1940		Edward William Hanson, Governor
30 July 1940 to 8 August 1940		Jesse R. Wallace, acting Governor
8 August 1940 to 5 June 1942		Laurence Wild, Governor
17 January 1942 to 25 April 1942		Henry Louis Larsen, Military Governor
5 June 1942 to 8 February 1944		John Gould Moyer, Governor
8 February 1944 to 27 January 1945		Allen Hobbs, Governor
27 January 1945 to 3 September 1945		Ralph Waldo Hungerford, Governor
3 September 1945 to 10 September 1945		Samuel Canan, acting Governor
10 September 1945 to 22 April 1947		Harold Houser, Governor
22 April 1947 to 15 June 1949		Vernon Huber, Governor
7 July 1949 to 23 February 1951		Thomas Francis Darden, Jr., Governor

Appointed governors (1951–1978)

Civilian governor		Took office	Left office
	Phelps Phelps (1897–1981)	February 23, 1951	June 20, 1952
	John C. Elliott (1919–2001)	July 16, 1952	November 23, 1952
	James Arthur Ewing (1916-unknown)	November 28, 1952	March 4, 1953
	Lawrence M. Judd (1887–1968)	March 4, 1953	August 5, 1953
	Richard Barrett Lowe (1902–1972)	August 5, 1953	October 15, 1956
	Peter Tali Coleman (1919–1997)	October 13, 1956	May 24, 1961
	Hyrum Rex Lee (1910–2001)	May 24, 1961	July 31, 1967
	Owen Stuart Aspinall (1927–1997)	August 1, 1967	July 31, 1969
	John Morse Haydon (1920–1991)	August 1, 1969	October 14, 1974
	Frank C. Mockler (acting) (1909–1993)	October 14, 1974	February 6, 1975
	Earl B. Ruth (1916–1989)	February 6, 1975	September 30, 1976
	Frank Barnett (b. 1933)	October 1, 1976	May 27, 1977
	Hyrum Rex Lee (1910–2001)	May 28, 1977	January 3, 1978

Elected governors (1978–present)

No.	Picture	Governor	Took office	left office	Party
51		Peter Tali Coleman (1919–1997)	January 3, 1978	January 3, 1985	Republican
52		A. P. Lutali (1919–2002)	January 3, 1985	January 2, 1989	Democratic
53		Peter Tali Coleman (1919–1997)	January 2, 1989	January 3, 1993	Republican
54		A. P. Lutali (1919–2002)	January 3, 1993	January 3, 1997	Democratic
55		Tauese Sunia (1941–2003)	January 3, 1997	March 26, 2003	Democratic
–		Togiola Tulafono (b. 1947)	March 26, 2003	April 7, 2003	Democratic
56			April 7, 2003	January 3, 2013
57		Lolo Matalasi Moliga (b. 1949)	January 3, 2013	Incumbent	Independent

Living former governors

There are two living former governors of American Samoa. The most recent-serving governor to die was Tauese Sunia (1997–2003), on March 26, 2003.

Name	Gubernatorial term	Date of birth
Frank Barnett	1976–1977 (appointed)	July 20, 1933
Togiola Tulafono	2003–2013	February 28, 1947

Latest election

Election results, Governor of American Samoa, November 6, 2012
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Lolo Letalu Matalasi Moliga	4,372	33.5
	Democratic	Faoa Aitofele Sunia	4,315	33.1
	Independent	Afoa Moega Lutu	2,521	19.3
	Independent	Salu Hunkin-Finau	893	6.8
	Independent	Save Liuato Tuitele	763	5.8
	Independent	Timothy Jones	189	1.4
Total votes			13,053	100

Due to no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote a runoff election was held.

Runoff election results, Governor of American Samoa, November 20, 2012
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Lolo Letalu Matalasi Moliga	6,645	52.9
	Democratic	Faoa Aitofele Sunia	5,908	47.1
Total votes			12,553	100

References