William Tubman, Liberian lawyer and politician, 19th President of Liberia (d. 1971)
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 death in 1971.
Tubman is regarded as the "father of modern Liberia"; his presidency was marked by attracting sufficient foreign investment to modernize the economy and infrastructure. During his tenure, Liberia experienced a period of prosperity. He also led a policy of national unification in order to reduce the social and political differences between his fellow Americo-Liberians and the indigenous Liberians.