Tupua Tamasese Meaʻole

He was born in Vaimoso 1905 as the one of three sons of Tupua Tamasese Lealofi II. He was educated at the Marist school in Apia.[1] In 1929 he became Tupua Tamasese when his brother Tupua Tamasese Lealofi III was killed by police during a Mau parade in Apia.[1]

He married Noue in 1934, a daughter of Olaf Frederick Nelson.[1] The couple had four children; two daughters and two sons.[1] In 1936 he was appointed to the Legislative Council, and in 1938 he was appointed as one of the Fautua (advisor to the Administrator). In the same year he became president of the Mau.[1] As a Fautua, he continued to serve in the Legislative Council and its successor, the Legislative Assembly until 1957.[1] He was also a member of the Council of State and the Executive Council until 1959.[1]

Away from politics, Tamasese was involved in business, serving as chair of the board of the Western Samoa Trust Estates Corporation, a director of the Bank of Western Samoa and a member of the Copra Board.[1] In the 1957 New Year Honours he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.[2]

In preparations for independence, Tamasese chaired the constitutional conventions of 1954 and 1960.[1] When Western Samoa attained independence in 1962, the new constitution made Tamasese and Malietoa Tanumafili II (the two Fautua) joint head of state.[1]

Upon Tamasese's death in April 1963, Malietoa continued to serve as sole head of state, whilst the title of Tupua Tamasese was taken by his nephew Tupua Tamasese Lealofi IV.