Joseph Rudolph Grimes
Joseph Rudolph Grimes | |
|---|---|
Grimes in 1963 | |
| Secretary of State of Liberia | |
| In office 1960–1972 | |
| President | William Tubman |
| Preceded by | Momolu Dukuly |
| Succeeded by | Rocheforte Lafayette Weeks |
| Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law | |
| Assumed office 1951 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 31, 1923 |
| Died | September 7, 2007 (aged 83) Guttenberg, New Jersey, United States |
| Occupation | Lawyer, diplomat |
Joseph Rudolph Grimes (31 October 1923 – 7 September 2007) was a Liberian lawyer, diplomat, and statesman who served as Secretary of State of Liberia from 1960 to 1972 under President William Tubman. He previously founded the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia and served as its first dean.
Early life and education
Grimes was born on 31 October 1923 to Louis Arthur Grimes, who later served as Chief Justice of Liberia, and Victoria Grimes.[1] His sister, Mary Antoinette Brown Sherman, became the first female president of the University of Liberia and the first woman to lead a university in Africa.
He was educated at the College of West Africa before graduating from Liberia College (now the University of Liberia) with a Bachelor of Arts degree.[1]
Grimes later studied in the United States, earning a law degree from Harvard Law School and subsequently a master's degree in international affairs from Columbia University in New York City.[1]
Legal career
Following his education in the United States, Grimes returned to Liberia where he founded the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia. Named after his father, he served as the institution's first dean beginning in 1951.[1]
Government service
Before becoming Secretary of State, Grimes also served as Liberia's ambassador to the Republic of China.[2] In 1958 he was appointed acting Secretary of State of Liberia.[1]
In 1960 he was appointed Secretary of State by President William Tubman.[3] Serving until 1972, he was one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in Liberian history. He was preceded by Momolu Dukuly and succeeded by Rocheforte Lafayette Weeks.[4]
Later years
In 1975 he was elected to membership in the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (CCIA/WCC) and served as its vice-moderator until 1983. He later served as special adviser on African affairs and representative to the United Nations in New York from 1993 to 1994.[5]
Joseph Rudolph Grimes died on 7 September 2007 at his home in Guttenberg, New Jersey, at the age of 83.[6][1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f James, Abraham L. (19 October 2007). "The Life and Legacy Of Secretary Of State J. Rudolph Grimes". The Perspective. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
- ^ Bartke, Wolfgang (1985). The Diplomatic Service of the People's Republic of China as of November 1984. Institut für Asienkunde.
- ^ Dunn, Elwood D.; Beyan, Amos J.; Burrowes, Carl Patrick (2001). Historical Dictionary of Liberia. Scarecrow Press.
- ^ Sawyer, Amos (1992). The Emergence of Autocracy in Liberia. ICS Press.
- ^ Archives of the World Council of Churches, Geneva, Switzerland
- ^ "J. Rudolph Grimes is Dead". Liberian Observer.