William Tolbert

WILLIAM TOLBERT d1980. Liberian politician who served as the 20th president of Liberia from 1971 until 1980. He 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. He 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. His 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. He was assassinated aged 66 on 12th April 1980 in a 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