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53-526: Between 1965 and 1977 over 100 murders occurred in Maryland County, many of which were considered ritualistic due to the mutilation and removal of body parts. During the 1970s, Liberians in Maryland County were constantly under the threat of ritual murders. Between November 1976 and July 1977, 14 people had disappeared in the county prompting Liberian president William Tolbert to fire Superintendent of Maryland County, James Daniel Anderson, who failed to report

106-614: A medical school was added to the university. Due to civil strife in the country, UL has closed on several occasions, including in 1979, 1984, and 1990. In one incident in 1984, students and the University of Liberia faculty protested the Liberian government's arrest of two faculty members. Liberian President Samuel K. Doe sent the Liberian Army to attack the school on 22 August 1984, leading to several deaths, more than one hundred injured,

159-433: A move away from the republican form of government. During the 19th century, second- and first-year students would battle each other in an annual ritual over whether the first-year students were allowed to wear trousers. From 1866 to 1902, the school had ten graduates with long periods between granting degrees. Under the leadership of Edward Wilmot Blyden , school president from 1881 to 1884, women were allowed to enroll in

212-540: 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. Tolbert succeeded to the presidency upon the death of incumbent William Tubman in 1971. To the outside world,

265-478: A seven-year program. As of 2019, 18,753 students were enrolled at the university in all departments, of which 12,278 are male and 6,422 are female. This made the university the largest by enrollment in Liberia. UL had 331 faculty members then. The faculty was male-dominated, with 304 men and 27 women. The school is divided into six colleges, three graduate programs , and three professional schools . Colleges at

318-599: A state visit to Liberia. China funded a US$ 21.5 million expansion at the Fendall Campus that began in April 2008, which added more than five buildings. In March 2009, construction began at that campus of the new Angie Brooks International Center for Women's Research, Peace and Security, named in honor of Angie Brooks , who was the first African female president of the United Nations General Assembly as well as

371-570: A three-month closure, and destruction of some of the facilities. It did not grant any degrees from 1989 to 1996 due to the fighting from the First Liberian Civil War . When UL re-opened in 1997, enrollment totaled 6,000 students, though the civil war had damaged university facilities and led many faculty to leave the country. The last of the strife ended with the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War in 2003. In 2007,

424-518: A tidy profit from the proposed price increase. The Progressive Alliance of Liberia called for a peaceful demonstration in Monrovia to protest the proposed price increase. On 14 April about 2,000 activists began what was planned as a peaceful march on the Executive Mansion . The protest march swelled dramatically when the protesters were joined en route by more than 10,000 "back street boys" causing

477-525: A violent coup d'état; all of them were "indigenous" Liberians who later became the founding members of the People's Redemption Council , the governing body of the new regime. The group entered the Presidential palace and killed Tolbert, whose body was dumped into a mass grave together with 27 other victims of the coup. A crowd of angry Liberians gathered to shout insults and throw rocks at the bodies. Tolbert's body

530-706: Is accredited by the Liberian Commission on Higher Education. In 1847, Liberia declared independence from the American Colonization Society . In 1851, the new national legislature authorized the creation of a state college and chartered Liberia College. Financing was provided by the New York Colonization Society and the Trustees of Donations for Education in Liberia, both United States organizations. These two groups provided almost all of

583-539: Is the oldest degree-granting school in West Africa, and is accredited by Liberia's Commission on Higher Education. Classes are taught in English with the academic year running from September through August. Undergraduate students earn bachelor's degrees after four years of instruction, while the graduate programs offer master's degrees after two years of post-graduate work. Doctorates in medicine are conferred after completing

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636-530: The 2005 Presidential Election included UL alums Nathaniel Barnes , Varney Sherman , Togba-Nah Tipoteh , and Joseph Woah-Tee . The chairperson, Jerome Verdier , and the vice-chair, Dede Dolopei , of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission are alumni. Other alums are attorney Francis Y.S. Garlawolu , Chief Justice Johnnie Lewis , politician Charles Brumskine , Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele , and former United States Ambassador to Liberia and founder of

689-523: The American Bar Association paid for renovations to the law school. In April of that year, the university opened a new 200-computer digital center paid for by a private company. In June 2007, the school's president suspended classes after a faculty strike over back wages owed by the government, with classes re-opened in July. In February 2008, U.S. President George W. Bush visited the campus during

742-484: The 1970s, the world price of rubber was depressed, putting pressure on the Liberian economy. Tolbert brought a new approach to the Liberian government's relations with foreign companies. Companies such as Firestone , which had operated for years without being audited by the government, were audited, and forced to pay millions of dollars in back taxes. Old concession agreements were renegotiated, and new concession agreements were negotiated with an emphasis on accountability of

795-696: The Confucius Institute. The Confucius Institute teaches the Chinese language and culture and it is also in cooperation with the Changsha University of Science and Technology . UL is a member of the Association of African Universities . The publicly funded university has four campuses. The Capitol Hill Campus in downtown Monrovia, a medical campus, Straz-Sinje in Grand Cape Mount County and

848-601: The Fendall campus, about 14 miles northeast of Monrovia. The College of Agriculture and Forestry is at the rural Fendell Campus. The university provides several buses to transport students between these campuses. The main campus was initially designed by Dr. J. Max Bond Sr. , the former university president from 1950 to 1954. Alums include past and present Liberian politicians and academics. These include formal vice president of Liberia Joseph Boakai and former presidents Arthur Barclay and Joseph James Cheeseman . Candidates for

901-644: 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. Daniel Frank Tolbert, the South Carolinian grandfather of William Tolbert, emigrated to Liberia aboard the barque Azor , alongside several other black South Carolinians who sought to settle in Liberia. The Tolbert clan

954-620: The Legislature who sought to repeal the amendment and again permit what Tolbert called an "evil tradition". Three years later, when True Whig partisans petitioned him to seek the amendment's repeal, he replied that their statement would only encourage him in his previous position: "I will serve my country as long as I have life. I do not have to [be?] President to do so." Abandoning Tubman's strong pro-West foreign policy, Tolbert adopted one which focused on promoting Liberia's political independence. To this end, he established diplomatic relations with

1007-576: The Soviet Union, China, Cuba , and several other Eastern Bloc countries, thus adopting a more nonaligned posture. Sometime in 1974, Tolbert accepted aid from the Soviet Union for the first time. While he was president (1971–1980) Liberia 's relations with the United States strained because of the establishment of diplomatic relations with the Soviets and Eastern Bloc . Tolbert's official state visit to

1060-742: The USA took place in 1976. Tolbert severed Liberia's ties with Israel during the Yom Kippur War in October 1973 and spoke in favor of recognizing national rights of the Palestinian people. However, Tolbert supported the United States on the Vietnam War , as had his predecessor, William Tubman. Tolbert was chairman of the Organisation of African Unity from July 1979 until he was killed in April 1980. Throughout

1113-526: The United States donated books and even the bricks and lumber used to construct the school's building. The library had an estimated 4,000 volumes at opening. Once classes opened, the curriculum was the standard courses typical at American colleges with courses such as rhetoric and Latin. Part of the impetus to start the school was a concern that some Liberians were already leaving the nation to study in Great Britain, which American backers thought might lead to

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1166-565: The University of Liberia include the Liberia College of Social Sciences and Humanities, the College of Business and Public Administration, the College of General Studies, and the T. J. R. Faulkner College of Science and Technology. Additionally, there is the William V. S. Tubman Teachers College and the William R. Tolbert College of Agriculture and Forestry, both named after former presidents of

1219-659: 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 . 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

1272-498: The age of 81. She had moved to the United States after being released from house arrest in the aftermath of the coup. His grandson Tolbert Williams currently lives and works in the UK. University of Liberia The University of Liberia ( UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia , Liberia . Authorized by

1325-484: The coup and its aftermath; among them was the minister of finance, future president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf . Undisputedly, Tolbert was dead by the end of 12 April 1980, the day of the coup d'état. There are competing stories as to the time and manner of his death. Steven Ellis, in his book Mask of Anarchy , says the president was found sleeping in his office, where the soldiers killed him, while Ellen Johnson Sirleaf 's biography, This Child Will Be Great , says Tolbert

1378-568: The disorder increased. Tolbert's credibility was severely damaged by the Rice Riots. In March 1980 Tolbert ordered the banning of the PAL, and had Gabriel Bacchus Matthews and the rest of the organization's leadership arrested on charges of treason. In the early hours of 12 April 1980, 17 non-commissioned officers and soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia led by Master Sergeant Samuel Doe launched

1431-645: The first African to serve as president of the Baptist World Alliance , and was also a member of Phi Beta Sigma fraternity. He became Grand Master of the Masonic Order of Liberia . 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

1484-421: The first Harper Trial, Joshua Brown and Teah Toby were released and later became state witnesses. The other ten defendants were found guilty and sentenced to public execution by hanging . Tagbedi Wisseh appealed his conviction and was pardoned by Tolbert before execution. Wonplu Boye and Koti Weah both died before execution, it was rumored their own family members poisoned them to avoid shame. On 16 February 1979,

1537-600: The first female associate justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia . Emmet Dennis became the 13th president of the university that month, as enrollment topped 18,000. The Harvey S. Firestone Quadrangle Science Building at the main campus was renovated by Firestone Liberia and re-opened in November 2009. In 2013, all 25,000 applicants failed the University of Liberia's entrance exam. The university later bowed to government pressure and gave places to 1,800 students. The university

1590-401: The funds for the school during the 19th century and were responsible for hiring the faculty. After authorization, groups from Clay-Ashland and Monrovia maneuvered in political circles in an attempt to have the school in their cities, with the location eventually chosen as the capital city. This political battle delayed the foundation; on 25 January 1858, the cornerstone of the first building

1643-502: The girlfriend of Assistant Supervisor of Schools, Francis Nyepan, was allegedly heard by a group searching for Tweh saying that "if they would be so lucky to find him, only his bones they might see". This sparked the arrest of 12 people, a majority of whom were government officials. In July and early August 1977, 12 people were arrested: The accused were forced to walk through the street naked "carrying two buckets loaded with sand". They were allegedly tortured during interrogation. During

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1696-540: The kitchen." Indeed, it lacked support within Tolbert's own administration. While the indigenous majority felt the change was occurring too slowly, many Americo-Liberians felt it was too rapid. Despite following Tubman's 27-year presidency, Tolbert refused to follow his predecessor's hold on office until death. He successfully worked for a constitutional amendment to bar the president from serving more than eight years in office, and in 1976 he vowed fierce opposition to members of

1749-596: The late 1970s, Tolbert became increasingly open to overtures of economic assistance from Libya and Cuba. Liberia had been a one-party state since 1877. However, in 1973, the country returned to a two-party system when the Progressive Alliance of Liberia , headed by Gabriel Baccus Matthews , became recognized as a legitimate opposition party. Between 1965 and 1977 over 100 murders occurred around Harper in Maryland County , many of which involved mutilation and

1802-444: The march to quickly degenerate into a disorderly mob of riot and destruction. Widespread looting ensued with damage to private property estimated at over $ 40 million. At least 41 demonstrators were killed by shooting. This incident set fire to the powder. During the following year, riots and demonstrations shook the country. Tolbert tried in vain to restore order by arresting the opposition leaders, but his attempts were unsuccessful and

1855-433: The missing people. Tolbert publicly declared "Anyone who kills deliberately: The law will kill that person". These murders went unreported and uninvestigated until the murder of a local fisherman and popular singer, Moses Tweh. Tweh was abducted on June 26, 1977. His body was discovered on July 4, 1977, heavily mutilated with his eyes, ears, nose, tongue and penis removed. Prior to the discovery of Tweh's body, Wreh Taryonnoh,

1908-401: The nation. Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law , the only law school in Liberia, was added to the university in 1951. The A. M. Dogliotti College of Medicine was opened in a partnership between Italy's A. M. Dogliotti Foundation and the government of Liberia. Students of the medical school are required to give one year of service in rural areas after graduation. The School of Pharmacy is

1961-789: The national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia College . UL has four campuses: the Capitol Hill Campus in Monrovia, the Fendall campus in Louisiana, outside Monrovia, the Medical School Campus in Congo Town, and the Straz-Sinje Campus in Sinje Grand Cape Mount County. The university enrolls approximately 18,000 students and is one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in West Africa. It

2014-447: 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. Upon becoming president, Tolbert initiated some liberal reforms. Though he

2067-426: The preparatory department. During the 1800s, UL and the country suffered from class and caste conflicts, which led to the temporary closure of Liberia College on several occasions in the 1890s. R. B. Richardson was the first alumnus to become the school president. The School of Forestry at the college was founded in 1942 by Stephen A. Tolbert , who served as dean of that school until 1960. Enrollment increased at

2120-526: The private sector to the Liberian government. In May 1975, Liberia became a signatory to the treaty that established the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in order to create a common market in West Africa and promote regional economic integration and stability in 15 West African countries, with the intention that it would mirror the success of the European Common Market . By

2173-694: The removal of body parts. During the 1970s Liberians in Maryland County were constantly under the threat of ritual murders. Between November 1976 and July 1977, 14 people had disappeared in the county prompting Tolbert to fire the Superintendent of Maryland County, James Daniel Anderson, for failure to report the missing people and publicly declare "Anyone who kills deliberately: The law will kill that person". Twelve suspects were eventually arrested; seven, including four government officials, were convicted and executed. In early April 1979, Tolbert's minister of agriculture, Florence Chenoweth , proposed an increase in

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2226-451: The seven remaining people convicted of Moses Tweh's murder were publicly hanged at dawn in Harper . The media dubbed them the "Harper Seven". William Tolbert President of Liberia Government 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

2279-425: The subsidized price of rice from $ 22 per 100-pound bag to $ 26. Chenoweth asserted that the increase would serve as an added inducement for rice farmers to continue farming instead of abandoning their farms for jobs in the cities or on the rubber plantations. Political opponents criticized the proposal as self-serving, pointing out that Chenoweth and the Tolbert family operated large rice farms and would therefore realize

2332-846: The third professional school. At the same time, graduate programs include the Ibrahim B. Babangida Graduate Program in International Relations, the Graduate Program in Regional Science, and the Graduate Program in Education Administration. In addition to the schools and departments of study, UL houses five institutes. These are the Institute for Research, Institute for Population Studies, Kofi A. Annan Center for Conflict Transformation, Center for Millennium Development Goals, and

2385-454: The university to approximately 70 students in 1948, and to 100 in 1950. In 1951, president J. Max Bond, Sr. and dean Anna E. Cooper helped to convert the college into the University of Liberia. Also in 1951, the Law School was established and named after former Liberia Supreme Court Chief Justice Louis Arthur Grimes . In 1956, the university had an enrollment of 259 students. In 1968,

2438-515: 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

2491-438: Was laid in Monrovia. In January 1862, the school was inaugurated, with classes beginning in 1863. The nation's first president, Joseph Jenkins Roberts , became the school's first president in 1862 and served in that post until 1876. Seven men made up the first class of students, with a college preparatory division adding 18 students to the enrollment two months later. Besides American financing, colleges and individuals from

2544-494: Was later moved to a spot in Monrovia's Palm Grove Cemetery , not far from the bodies of those killed in the Rice Riots. By the end of the month, most of the cabinet members of the Tolbert administration had been put on trial in a kangaroo court and sentenced to death . Many of them were publicly executed on 22 April at a beach near the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia. Only four of Tolbert's cabinet heads survived

2597-558: 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. Tolbert was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1943, and served until being elected vice president in 1951. A Baptist minister, in 1965 he became

2650-550: Was re-elected in 1975, his government was criticized sharply for failing to address the deep economic disparities between different sectors of the population, notably the Americo-Liberians , who had dominated the country since independence, and the various indigenous ethnic groups which constituted the majority of the population. Because Tolbert was a member of one of the most influential and affluent Americo-Liberian families, everything from cabinet appointments to economic policy

2703-701: 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 (the wife of a government aviator) died in Westchester County, New York , United States, in 1993. and Christine Augusta Tolbert-Norman died from cancer in Cary, North Carolina in 2021. His widow, former First Lady Victoria Tolbert , died in Minnesota on 8 November 1997 at

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2756-533: Was seized and killed in his bed. 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 on 29 April 1975, in a plane crash. 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 , and he

2809-402: Was tainted with allegations of nepotism . Thanks to his father who spoke Kpelle , Tolbert was the second Liberian president, after President Stephen Allen Benson , to speak an indigenous language, and he promoted a program to bring more indigenous people into the government. This initiative caused a good deal of chagrin among Americo-Liberians who accused Tolbert of "letting the peasants into

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