Arthur Barclay (31 July 1854 – 10 July 1938) was the 15th

president of Liberia The president of the Republic of Liberia is the head of state and government of Liberia. The president serves as the leader of the executive branch and as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. Prior to the independence of Liber ...

from 1904 to 1912.

Early life and education

Barclay was born at

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...

, Barbados, on 31 July 1854, the tenth of twelve children of Anthony and Sarah Barclay. He was the father of Anthony Barclay, who served on the

Supreme Court of Liberia The Supreme Court of Liberia is the highest judicial body in Liberia. The court consists of the Chief Justice of Liberia, who is also the top judiciary official, and four associate justices, who are nominated by the President and confirmed by ...

, and uncle of the 18th president, Edwin Barclay. Barclay immigrated to Liberia with his father in 1865. His first teacher was his oldest sister, Antoinette Barclay. He later entered the Preparatory Department of Liberia College, under the principalship of Anthony T. Ferguson. Having completed the course prescribed, he matriculated into the Collegiate Department and graduated as a Bachelor of Arts in the Class of 1873.

Career

In 1877, he was appointed principal of the Preparatory Department of his alma mater, which position he held for a number of years, and served during the vacation as chief clerk of the House of Representatives. His later services to the said institution were: professor, member of the board of trustees, and sometimes acting president. He was called to the bar of

Montserrado County Montserrado County is a county in the northwestern portion of the West African nation of Liberia containing its national capital, Monrovia. One of 15 counties that comprise the first-level of administrative division in the nation, it has 17 sub p ...

in 1877, and after practicing law for three years, he attained the rank of counsellor of the Supreme Court. His first official position was private secretary to President

Joseph Jenkins Roberts Joseph Jenkins Roberts (March 15, 1809 – February 24, 1876) was an African-American merchant who emigrated to Liberia in 1829, where he became a politician. Elected as the first (1848–1856) and seventh (1872–1876) president of Liberi ...

in 1874. His second position was judge of the Court of Quarter Sessions and Common Pleas of Montserrado County to which he was appointed by President Alfred F. Russell in 1883. In 1885, President Hilary R. W. Johnson appointed him sub-treasurer of

, which he held for 5 years. He was

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Monrovia from 1892 to 1902. In 1892, President Joseph James Cheeseman elevated him to the cabinet position as

postmaster A postmaster is the head of an individual post office, responsible for all postal activities in a specific post office. When a postmaster is responsible for an entire mail distribution organization (usually sponsored by a national government), ...

-general and then to secretary of state. Upon the death of his predecessor H. A. Williams in 1896, he was appointed

secretary of the treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...

, which he held until his election to the presidency in May 1903. Inaugurated in January 1904, he served until January 1912. After his retirement served as president of Liberia College from 1914 to 1917. He served upon the following diplomatic commissions: * In 1893, associated with

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

A. B. King, and William Rothery, he was sent as a commissioner to the World's Fair at

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Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, United States. * In 1897, associated with

Attorney General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

Stevens, he went to

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, England, to arrange with the Council of Foreign Bondholders for the amortization of the loan of 1870, contracted in the administration of President Edward James Roye, which had been in default for over 20 years. * In 1901, he was associated with Chief Justice Z. B. Roberts and Senator A. B. King on diplomatic missions to England and

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

Presidency (1904–1912)

Arthur Barclay was president from 1904 to 1912. In addition to continued internal unrest, the country faced a severe economic crisis and huge indebtedness to European creditors. In the decades after 1868, escalating economic difficulties weakened the state's dominance over the coastal indigenous population. Conditions worsened, as the cost of imports was far greater than the income generated by exports of coffee, rice,

palm oil Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil derived from the mesocarp (reddish pulp) of the fruit of oil palms. The oil is used in food manufacturing, in beauty products, and as biofuel. Palm oil accounted for about 36% of global oils produced from o ...

, sugarcane, and timber. Liberia tried desperately to modernize its largely agricultural economy. In 1907, while president of the nation, he headed the mission to arrange boundary disputes with the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and French Governments, associating with F. E. R. Johnson, secretary of state, and T. McCants Stewart, Deputy

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

of Liberia. George Washington Ellis wrote of Barclay in 1911,

He brought with his elevation to the presidency a deep thinker, a wide public experience and equipment, a gentleman of modest and retiring manners, a faithful public servant and a brave champion of public measures. He surrounded himself with the ablest men of his country and his administrations will be remembered for many notable civic triumphs in behalf of the Liberian state: the definition of Liberian boundaries, the pacification of the interior, increased control of the native races, organization of the Liberian Frontier Police Force, better supervision of the Liberian customs, and repeated attempts at judicial and other domestic reforms

Under his government, the Liberian Frontier Force was created, which later evolved into the Liberian Armed Forces.

Death

He died at his home in

Monrovia Monrovia () is the administrative capital city, capital and largest city of Liberia. Founded in 1822, it is located on Cape Mesurado on the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic coast and as of the 2022 census had 1,761,032 residents, home to 33.5% of Liber ...

on 10 July 1938.

References

Bibliography

*Nathaniel R. Richardson, ''Liberia's Past and Present.'' London: The Diplomatic Press and Publishing Company, 1959.

External links

*See History of Liberia, external links {{DEFAULTSORT:Barclay, Arthur Americo-Liberian people 1854 births 1938 deaths Presidents of Liberia Ministers of foreign affairs of Liberia Ministers of finance of Liberia Barbadian emigrants Immigrants to Liberia University of Liberia alumni People from Montserrado County Presidents of the University of Liberia People from Bridgetown Postmasters general of Liberia True Whig Party politicians 20th-century Liberian politicians 20th-century presidents in Africa