Liberian president ellen johnson sirleaf biography sample

Ellen Eugenia Johnson was born in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia. Founded in the 19th century by freed slaves from the United States, Liberia is the oldest republic in Africa. Its society has long been marked by tension between the indigenous people and the descendants of the American settlers. Her maternal grandfather was a German merchant who left the country during the First World War.

University seemed a logical next step, but at 17, Ellen married James Sirleaf, a young agronomist with a degree from the University of Wisconsin. With four sons born in rapid succession, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf settled into the role of homemaker, while many of her school friends embarked on professional careers. To augment the family income, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf worked as a bookkeeper for an auto repair shop.

When her husband was offered the opportunity to pursue graduate studies in the United States, the Sirleafs left their children in the care of grandparents and made the trip to America together. On their return to Liberia, he resumed work in the Agriculture Department while, in , she entered the Treasury Department, later known as the Ministry of Finance.

When her husband became violent and abusive, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf filed for divorce. After the dissolution of her marriage, she continued her education in the United States, earning an economics degree from the University of Colorado. Kennedy School of Government.

Is ellen johnson sirleaf still alive

Her public criticism of administration policy, on occasions such as a commencement address at the College of West Africa, attracted national attention and created friction between Johnson Sirleaf and her superiors. In , a rice shortage provoked riots in the streets of Monrovia. President Tolbert fired his finance minister and appointed Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to take his place; she was the first woman to hold this position in Liberia.

President Tolbert and 26 of his followers were killed on the day of the coup.