Arthur Barclay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Arthur Barclay
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| 15th President of Liberia | |
| In office 4 January 1904 – 1 January 1912 |
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| Vice President | Joseph D. Summerville J. J. Dossen |
| Preceded by | Garretson W. Gibson |
| Succeeded by | Daniel Edward Howard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 July 1854 Bridgetown, Barbados |
| Died | 10 July 1938 (aged 83) Monrovia, Liberia |
| Political party | True Whig |
Arthur Barclay (born July 31, 1854 – died July 10, 1938) was an important leader in Liberia. He served as the 15th president of Liberia from 1904 to 1912.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Arthur Barclay was born in Bridgetown, Barbados, on July 31, 1854. He was one of twelve children. His father, Anthony Barclay, moved their family to Liberia in 1865.
Arthur's first teacher was his older sister, Antoinette. Later, he studied at the Preparatory Department of Liberia College. This was like a high school program. He then went on to the Collegiate Department, which was like college. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1873.
Arthur Barclay's Career
After college, Arthur Barclay became the principal of the Preparatory Department at Liberia College in 1877. He also worked as the chief clerk for the House of Representatives during school breaks. Later, he became a professor and a member of the college's board of trustees. Sometimes, he even served as acting president of the college.
In 1877, he became a lawyer in Montserrado County. After practicing law for three years, he became a top lawyer for the Supreme Court.
Arthur Barclay held many important government jobs. In 1874, he was a private secretary to President Joseph Jenkins Roberts. In 1883, he became a judge in Montserrado County.
From 1885 to 1890, he was the sub-treasurer for Montserrado County. He was also the mayor of Monrovia from 1892 to 1902.
In 1892, President Joseph James Cheeseman made him the postmaster-general. Then he became the secretary of state. In 1896, he was appointed secretary of the treasury. He held this job until he was elected president in May 1903.
After his time as president, Arthur Barclay continued to serve. He was the president of Liberia College from 1914 to 1917.
Diplomatic Missions
Arthur Barclay also worked on important international missions for Liberia:
- In 1893, he went to the World's Fair in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
- In 1897, he traveled to London, England. His goal was to help Liberia pay back a loan from 1870 that had not been paid for over 20 years.
- In 1901, he went on diplomatic missions to England and France.
Presidency (1904–1912)
Arthur Barclay was president of Liberia from 1904 to 1912. During his time, Liberia faced big challenges. There was unrest within the country. Also, the country had serious money problems and owed a lot of money to European countries.
Liberia's economy struggled because it spent more on imports than it earned from exports like coffee, rice, and palm oil. President Barclay tried hard to improve Liberia's farming economy.
In 1907, as president, he led a team to settle border disagreements with the British and French governments.
A writer named George Washington Ellis described President Barclay in 1911. He said Barclay was a "deep thinker" and a "faithful public servant." He also said Barclay chose smart people to work with him.
During his presidency, many good things happened for Liberia. These included:
- Defining Liberia's borders.
- Bringing peace to the country's interior regions.
- Gaining more control over the local populations.
- Creating the Liberian Frontier Force, which later became Liberia's armed forces.
- Improving how customs (taxes on goods) were managed.
- Trying to make the justice system and other parts of the government better.
Death
Arthur Barclay passed away at his home in Monrovia on July 10, 1938.
See also
