Afioga Afoafouvale Misimoa (25 September 1900 – 18 February 1971), also known by his European name Harry William Moors, was a Western Samoan businessman and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Assembly in two spells between 1951 and 1967, and was the first Pacific Islander to become Secretary-General of the
South Pacific Commission
The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, ...
. He also founded the
Samoa Rugby Union
Rugby Samoa ( sm, Lakapi Samoa) is the governing body of the sport of rugby union in Samoa. Founded as the ''Apia Rugby Union'' in 1924, it was affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union the same year.Jones, p10 It joined the Internat ...
.
Biography
Misimoa was born in September 1900, the son of Harry Jay Moors, an American trader and friend of
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', '' Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
. He attended
Auckland Grammar School
Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about It ...
in New Zealand and Belmont Military Academy in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
he served in the American military in France and Germany.
After returning to Western Samoa, Misimoa joined the civil service, working for the Department of Samoan Affairs. A keen sportsman, he founded the
Samoa Rugby Football Union
Rugby Samoa ( sm, Lakapi Samoa) is the governing body of the sport of rugby union in Samoa. Founded as the ''Apia Rugby Union'' in 1924, it was affiliated to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union the same year.Jones, p10 It joined the Internation ...
in 1924 and built the first golf course in Western Samoa. In 1928 he joined O.F. Nelson and Co, working for his brother-in-law
Olaf Frederick Nelson
Ta'isi Olaf Frederick Nelson (24 February 1883 – 28 February 1944) was a Samoan businessman and politician. He was one of the founding leaders of the anti-colonial Mau movement.
Biography
Nelson was born on 24 February 1883 in Safune on th ...
, before leaving in 1934 to establish a dairy firm. He was also a founder member of the
Apia
Apia () is the capital and largest city of Samoa, as well as the nation's only city. It is located on the central north coast of Upolu, Samoa's second-largest island. Apia falls within the political district (''itūmālō'') of Tuamasaga.
Th ...
Chamber of Commerce. He joined the Samoa Defence Force in 1938, serving as Commander of the group of Samoan troops that joined the
Māori Battalion
The 28th (Māori) Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion, was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War. It formed following pressure on the Labour government from some Māori Memb ...
. He was subsequently seconded to the
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through ...
, training American army personnel in bush tactics and jungle warfare.
Misimoa entered politics in the early 1950s. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly as a European representative in
1951
Events
January
* January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950).
* January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...
, and was re-elected in 1954 as the most voted-for candidate. He was appointed to the Executive Council, and when a Member System was introduced in 1956, he became Member for Works.Lauofo Meti (2002) ''Samoa: The Making of the Constitution'', p39 However, he lost his seat in the 1957 elections. Prior to the 1961 elections he renounced his European status and contested the Samoan constituency of Palauli East, defeating former Minister
Tualaulelei Mauri
Tualaulelei Mauri (12 June 1903 – 8 September 1961) was a Western Samoan chief and politician. He served as a member of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly between 1943 and 1961, and as Minister of Lands and Minister of Agricult ...
by 46 votes to 42. However, Mauri submitted a petition seeking to overturn his defeat,Results of Samoan Elections in Dispute ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', April 1961, pp118–119 claiming that a death oath had been placed on voters by a local chief if Misimoa was not elected. Mauri's case was later dismissed due to contradictory evidence. He was re-elected in
1964
Events January
* January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved.
* January 5 - In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patriarc ...
, but surprisingly lost his seat in the 1967 elections.
Having served as Senior Commissioner for Western Samoa on the
South Pacific Commission
The Pacific Community (PC), formerly the South Pacific Commission (SPC), is an international development organisation governed by 27 members, including 22 Pacific island countries and territories. The organisation's headquarters are in Nouméa, ...
, in January 1970 Misimoa became the organisation's Secretary-General, the first Pacific Islander to hold the post.Secretary-General of the SPC dies in Tarawa ''Pacific Islands Monthly'', March 1971, p25 He died during an official visit to
Tarawa
Tarawa is an atoll and the capital of the Republic of Kiribati,Kiribati ''
Gilbert and Ellice Islands
The Gilbert and Ellice Islands (GEIC as a colony) in the Pacific Ocean were part of the British Empire from 1892 to 1976. They were a protectorate from 1892 to 12 January 1916, and then a colony until 1 January 1976. The history of the colony w ...