Fainu'ulelei S. Utu (August 4, 1924 – March 6, 1974) was an American Samoan politician. He served as Speaker of the House of Representatives (1969–1970) and a member of the

Fono The Legislative Assembly ( sm, Fono Aoao Faitulafono a Samoa), also known as the Parliament of Samoa ( sm, Palemene o Samoa), is the national legislature of Samoa, seated at Apia, where the country's central administration is situated. Samoan P ...

legislature as both a member in the House of Representatives (1969–1973) and the

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

(1973–1974).

Biography

Personal life

Utu was raised in both

Amouli Āmouli is a village on the southeast coast of Tutuila Island, American Samoa at the narrowest point of the island. It is located to the west of 'Au'asi, immediately to the south of 'Aoa on the north coast. It was home to 920 residents at the 2 ...

and Fagatogo as his family owned a second home in Fagatogo. He suffered from a variety of illnesses throughout his life and did not finish high school with his peers due to lung disease. Upon graduating high school, Utu attended Suva Medical School in

Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists ...

. He later worked as a teacher.Senator F. S. Utu
''Pacific Islands Monthly'', May 1974, p130 He had one daughter and two sons with his wife Penelope Alaiilima. He was a member of two church communities: he was the deacon in the

Congregational Christian Church The Congregational Christian Churches were a Protestant Christian denomination that operated in the U.S. from 1931 through 1957. On the latter date, most of its churches joined the Evangelical and Reformed Church in a merger to become the United C ...

in Amouli, and he was a lay preacher at the Methodist Church in Fagatogo.

Professional life

When Utu returned from Fiji upon graduating medical school, he ran and won against incumbent

A. P. Lutali Aifili Paulo Lauvao (December 24, 1919 – August 1, 2002), was twice governor of American Samoa (1985–1989, 1993–1997). The founder of the U.S territory's Democratic Party, he had a long career in the legislature and the judiciary in Amer ...

for the House of Representatives, but left for the

University of Hawaiʻi The University of Hawaiʻi System, formally the University of Hawaiʻi and popularly known as UH, is a public college and university system that confers associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees through three universities, seven com ...

after serving one term. Upon graduating from the University of Hawai'i, Utu was hired by Governor Peter Tali Coleman to work in the Governor's Office in 1959. In 1961 he transferred to the Department of Administrative Services and later the Department of Agriculture. He also established a poultry farm in his hometown of Amouli. He ran for the House of Representatives in

1968 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – "Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * Januar ...

and served as Speaker of the House in the 11th and 12th Legislature. He later received the high chief title "Utu" and the family title of "Fainu'ulelei". He was elected to the Senate in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...

, but served less than two years of his four-year term due to illness. He died on March 6, 1974.

References

*Sunia, Fofō I. F. (1998). ''The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa: In Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee 1948-1998''. Pago Pago, AS: Legislature of American Samoa. Page 271. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Utu, Fainuulelei S. 1924 births 1974 deaths 20th-century American legislators American Samoan educators American Samoan civil servants Speakers of the American Samoa House of Representatives Members of the American Samoa House of Representatives American Samoa Senators American Samoa Republicans