Samuel Edward Peal, also known as S. Edward Peal, (February 3, 1923September 12, 1991) was a

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

n diplomat and politician.

Early life and education

Peal was born on February 3, 1923, in Millsburg,

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 ...

. He graduated from Central National School in White Plains, Liberia. In 1945, Peal earned a Bachelor of Arts degree magna cum laude from Liberia College. He later attended the

Foreign Service Institute The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) is the United States federal government's primary training institution for members of the U.S. foreign service community, preparing American diplomats as well as other professionals to advance U.S. foreign ...

in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Career

Peal served as town clerk of Millsburg. Peal's first diplomatic position was as first secretary of the Liberian Legation in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He served in this capacity from 1947 to 1952. Peal then served as commercial attaché with the legation to

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

from 1952 to 1955. From 1955 to 1965, Peal served as consul-general to

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. Peal first served as ambassador to

the Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

from 1956 to 1959. Peal then served as ambassador to

Guinea Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast, Côte d'Ivoire to the southeast, and Sier ...

from 1959 to 1962. On October 13, 1961, Peal was appointed as the ambassador to the United States by Liberian President

William Tubman William Vacanarat Shadrach Tubman (29 November 1895 – 23 July 1971) was a Liberian politician. He was the 19th president of Liberia and the longest-serving president in the country's history, serving from his election in 1944 until his dea ...

. He presented his credentials to United States President John F. Kennedy on October 19, 1961. He served in this position until 1976. Peal was elected to the

Senate of Liberia The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislative branch of Liberia, and together with the House of Representatives comprises the Legislature of Liberia. Each of the fifteen counties are equally represented by two senators, elected to s ...

in 1977, and served in this position until 1980. Through the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...

, Peal engaged in humanitarian work during the emergence of the

First Liberian Civil War The First Liberian Civil War was the first of Second Liberian Civil War, two civil wars within the West African nation of Liberia which lasted between 1989 and 1997. President Samuel Doe's regime of totalitarianism and widespread Political cor ...

Personal life

Peal was married to a woman named Florence Sherman. They had four children, Samuel Allen Peal, Rhoda Peal Samuel Edward Peal, Samuel Audiway Peal, as well as three grandchildren. Peal had a sister named Anna Pitts who was married to a man named Percy.

Death

Peal died on September 12, 1991, in

Arlington, Virginia Arlington County, or simply Arlington, is a County (United States), county in the U.S. state of Virginia. The county is located in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from Washington, D.C., the nati ...

References

1923 births 1991 deaths Ambassadors of Liberia to Guinea Ambassadors of Liberia to the Netherlands Ambassadors of Liberia to the United States City and town clerks Liberian United Methodists Members of the Senate of Liberia People from Montserrado County University of Liberia alumni 20th-century Liberian diplomats 20th-century Liberian politicians 20th-century Methodists {{Liberia-politician-stub