威廉·托尔伯特

William Richard Tolbert Jr. (13 May 1913 – 12 April 1980) was a Liberian politician who served as the 20th president of Liberia from 1971 until his assassination in 1980.

Tolbert was an Americo-Liberian and trained as a civil servant before entering the House of Representatives in 1943 for the True Whig Party, then the only established party in Liberia. Tolbert was elected the 23rd vice president of Liberia to William Tubman in 1952 and served in that position until he became president following Tubman's death in 1971. Tolbert's early presidency saw liberal reforms and the adoption of a Non-Alignment stance, but growing economic troubles and tensions between Americo-Liberians and indigenous Liberians led to instability.

Tolbert was assassinated in the 1980 coup d'état by the People's Redemption Council led by Samuel Doe, marking the end of 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule in Liberia.

Background

William Richard Tolbert Jr. was born in Bensonville, Liberia, to William Richard Tolbert Sr. (1869–1948) and Charlotte Augusta Tolbert, née Hoff of Cape Mount, Liberia. The Tolbert and Hoff families were Americo-Liberian families of African American descent and the Hoff family originated from Virginia. William Tolbert Sr. was the son of Daniel Frank Tolbert, who was formerly enslaved in South Carolina and emigrated to Liberia in the Liberian exodus of 1878. The Tolbert clan was one of the largest Americo-Liberian families in Liberia.

He attended Bensonville Elementary School, Crummell Hall Episcopalian High School. He studied at the University of Liberia and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1934. He married Victoria A. David, of Americo-Liberian and Vai descent, with whom he had eight children.

Vice presidency (1952–1971)

In 1951 Liberia held elections to decide president and vice president. William Tubman who was president in 1951 chose Tolbert as his vice president. They would go on to win and serve 6 terms until Tubman died in 1971.

In February 1968 William R. Tolbert arrived in Jamaica as a part of his Caribbean tour to meet as many Baptists as possible. He met with the prime minister to address a service at the East Queen Street Baptist Church, and other official functions.

On 23 July 1971 President William Tubman died in London during a visit which led Tolbert to become president.

Presidency and assassination

Tolbert succeeded to the presidency upon the death of incumbent William Tubman in 1971. To the outside world, the peaceful transfer of power was seen as a sign of continuing political stability in Liberia, a stark contrast with the political turmoil gripping much of the rest of Africa at the time. However, Liberia was effectively a one-party state, with the national legislature and judiciary subservient to the executive branch and only limited observation of civil liberties.

Attitude towards opposition and indigenous ethnic groups

Upon becoming president, Tolbert initiated some liberal reforms.……

Foreign policy

Abandoning Tubman's strong pro-West foreign policy, Tolbert adopted one which focused on promoting Liberia's political independence.……

Family

Some of Tolbert's children live in the US. His brother Stephen A. Tolbert served as his finance minister in the government until his death in a plane crash on 29 April 1975. One of his sons, A. Benedict Tolbert, was killed in the aftermath of the coup. He had taken refuge in the French Embassy but was arrested by members of Doe's security force who violated diplomatic immunity. He was reportedly thrown out of a military aircraft while being transported to a prison in Lofa County.

Three of his daughters are no longer alive. Victoria Tolbert Yancy died in 1971; Evelyn Tolbert Richardson died in Westchester County, New York, United States, in 1993; and Christine Augusta Tolbert-Norman died from cancer in Cary, North Carolina, United States, in 2021.……