Mabel Coleman Reid (died 9 November 1969), also known by the Samoan name Sinaitaaga,Samoa legislator Torrance visitor
''The Los Angelese Times'', 28 July 1957 was an

American Samoa American Samoa is an Territories of the United States, unincorporated and unorganized territory of the United States located in the Polynesia region of the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. Centered on , it is southeast of the island count ...

n politician. In 1953 she was one of the first two women elected to the

Fono The Legislative Assembly (), also known as the Parliament of Samoa (), is the national legislature of Samoa, seated at Apia, where the country's central administration is situated. Samoan Parliament is composed of two parts: the O le Ao o le M ...

, when she and Zilpher Jennings won seats in the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entities. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often ...

Biography

Reid was one of ten children of American Navy sailor William Patrick Coleman and his Samoan wife Amata C. Kreuz. Her brother

Peter Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

later served as

Governor of American Samoa This is a list of Governor (United States), governors, etc. of the part of the Samoan Islands (now comprising American Samoa) under United States administration since 1900. From 1900 to 1978 governors were appointed by the Federal government o ...

. She was educated at the

Sacred Hearts Academy Sacred Hearts Academy, also known as Sacred Hearts or SHA, is located on 3253 Waialae Avenue, in the town of Kaimuki in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a historic Roman Catholic college preparatory school for girls founded in 1909 to serve the needs of ear ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

, and became a stenographer and clerk of the

High Court of American Samoa The High Court of American Samoa is a Samoan court and the highest court below the United States Supreme Court in American Samoa. The Court is located in the capital of Fagatogo. It consists of one chief justice and one associate justice, appo ...

.Samoa Woman Solon Is Governor's Sister
''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', 19 August 1957 She married businessman Lealaifuaneva Peter E. Reid, and had two children, Peter and Mabel. In 1947 she became an agent for the new Samoan Area Airways, set up by her brother Lawrence. She also became High Chief of Tali in

Pago Pago Pago Pago ( or ; Samoan language, Samoan: )Harris, Ann G. and Esther Tuttle (2004). ''Geology of National Parks''. Kendall Hunt. Page 604. . is the capital of American Samoa. It is in Maoputasi County, American Samoa, Maoputasi County on Tutuila ...

. In the 1953 legislative elections, Reid contested the

Maʻopūtasi County Maopūtasi County is located in the Eastern District, American Samoa, Eastern District of Tutuila Island in American Samoa. Maʻopūtasi County comprises the capital of Pago Pago and its Pago Pago Harbor, harbor, as well as surrounding villages. ...

seat in the House of Representatives, and was one of two women elected to the House alongside Zilpher Jennings. Although she lost her seat to Puiai Tufele in the

1954 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1954. Africa * French legislative by-election, 1954 (Guinea) * 1954 Southern Rhodesian general election * 1954 Gambian legislative election * 1954 Gold Coast legislative election Asia * 1954 Iranian le ...

, she defeated Tufele in the

1956 elections The following elections occurred in the year 1956. Africa * 1956 Gold Coast legislative election * 1956 Italian Somaliland parliamentary election * 1956–1957 Kenyan legislative election * 1956 Nyasaland general election Asia * 1956 Burmese gene ...

,American Samoa News Letter
''Honolulu Star-Bulletin'', 24 December 1956 the only woman to win a seat in the 1956 elections. During her second term she served as chair of the Ways and Means committee and as Acting Speaker of the House. She was re-elected in

1958 Events January * January 1 – The European Economic Community (EEC) comes into being. * January 3 – The West Indies Federation is formed. * January 4 ** Edmund Hillary's Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition completes the thir ...

, remaining in office until the end of the sixth legislature.''A 40-year History of the Legislature of American Samoa'', 1989, p335 Reid died in November 1969.Mabel Reid of American Samoa Dies
''The Honolulu Advertiser'', p16

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Reid, Mabel Year of birth unknown American Samoan civil servants 20th-century American women civil servants American Samoan women in politics Members of the American Samoa House of Representatives American Samoan chiefs 1969 deaths