# Gatewood Lincoln

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Naval officer and Governor of American Samoa (1875–1957)

Gatewood Sanders Lincoln A sketch of Lincoln in 1896, recently graduated from the Naval Academy. Governor of American Samoa In office July 17, 1931 – May 12, 1932 Preceded by Arthur Emerson Succeeded by George Landenberger In office August 2, 1929 – March 24, 1931 Preceded by Stephen Victor Graham Succeeded by James Sutherland Spore Personal details Born (1875-08-05)August 5, 1875 Liberty, Missouri Died October 15, 1957(1957-10-15) (aged 82) Spouse Enfield "Enna" Caryl Stogdale Alma mater William Jewell College United States Naval Academy Occupation Naval officer Awards Navy Cross Military service Allegiance United States Branch/service United States Navy Rank Captain Commands USS Powhatan; Department of Electrical Engineering and Physics at the United States Naval Academy Battles/wars World War I, World War II

**Gatewood Sanders Lincoln** (August 5, 1875 – October 15, 1957) was a [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy) officer who served as the [governor of American Samoa](/source/Governor_of_American_Samoa). With Nathan Woodworth Post, Lincoln was one of only two [American Samoan](/source/American_Samoa) governors to serve non-consecutive terms.[1] He commanded a supply ship during [World War I](/source/World_War_I) and was an instructor at the [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy), serving as Department Head of the College of Electrical Engineering and Physics.

Between Governor Lincoln's first and second terms, there were two acting governors.[2]

## Biography

Gatewood Lincoln was born in [Liberty, Missouri](/source/Liberty%2C_Missouri), to James Edwin and Margaret Lincoln, natives of [Lexington, Kentucky](/source/Lexington%2C_Kentucky).[3] His father, a cousin of [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln), was probate judge of Clay County.[4] Gatewood was James Lincoln's mother's maiden name. Lincoln studied at [William Jewell College](/source/William_Jewell_College) in Liberty, before he was appointed to the [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) in 1892.[4][5]

### Naval career

Lincoln graduated from the Naval Academy in 1896, having been trained as a [naval engineer](/source/Naval_engineer).[6] He ranked second in his class and received his first assignment by request of the captain of the *[USS Philadelphia](/source/USS_Philadelphia_(C-4))*.[4][7] He was awarded the [Navy Cross](/source/Navy_Cross_(United_States)) for his conduct as captain of the *[USS Powhatan](/source/USS_Powhatan_(ID-3013))* on convoy duty during [World War I](/source/World_War_I).[8]

Lincoln served on the [United States Shipping Board](/source/United_States_Shipping_Board) advisory board during the 1930s[9] and also at the [Mare Island Naval Shipyard](/source/Mare_Island_Naval_Shipyard).[10] During World War I, he saw active duty in command of a supply ship in the Atlantic.[11] After the war, as a [Commander](/source/Commander_(United_States)#Naval_rank), Lincoln was department head of Electrical Engineering and Physics at the Naval Academy.[12] In 1943, he was called back to active duty to take command of the Naval Ammunition Depot in Fallbrook, California.

## Governorship

Lincoln served two terms as [Governor of American Samoa](/source/Governor_of_American_Samoa), from 2 August 1929 to 24 March 1931 and from 17 July 1931 to 12 May 1932.[13] He separated the responsibilities of the Chief Justice and the Attorney General, and he started a Samoan-led judicial commission to deal with matters involving land ownership, thereby granting the Samoan people more autonomy.[14]

During Governor Lincoln's first term, the long-awaited Congressional commission, appointed by the President under the Bingham Bill, arrived.[2] The congressional commission's visit from September to October 1930, and the subsequent release of its findings, led to a near halt in political unrest in the islands. Based on the commission's recommendations, a Bill of Rights was incorporated into the Codification of the Regulations and Orders for the Government.[15]

In the 1920s, it became clear that the swift Americanization efforts were not benefiting Samoans. By 1927, the [American Samoa Fono](/source/American_Samoa_Fono)'s attempt to limit educational reforms highlighted two major concerns: the disruptive effects of new knowledge and behaviors on students, and the diminishing respect for [Samoan culture](/source/Samoan_culture) due to the influence of foreign teachers. This cultural disconnect led to a sense among Samoans that their children were becoming estranged from their traditional values and family ties. In response, Governor Lincoln proposed a shift in educational focus in a 1929 letter to the Board of Education, suggesting that Samoan history and customs should be taught, and that education should prioritize practical skills like agriculture over preparing students for government roles. This approach aimed to align education more closely with Samoan needs and values. This shift gained momentum in 1933 with significant changes introduced by a committee of educators from the [University of Hawaiʻi](/source/University_of_Hawai%CA%BBi), funded by the Barstow Foundation, who further adapted the curriculum to better serve local needs.[16]

In its final years, the [Mau movement](/source/Mau_movement_in_American_Samoa) in American Samoa assumed a [watchdog](/source/Watchdog_journalism) role, diligently scrutinizing the actions of the U.S. Navy. By 1930, the movement's executive committee sought to become advisors to Governor Lincoln on all matters to ensure smooth governance. However, Governor Lincoln declined their request.[17]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). *American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag*. Island Heritage. Page 161. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-89610-339-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-89610-339-9).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Sunia,_Fofō_Iosefa_Fiti_2001_Page_75_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Sunia,_Fofō_Iosefa_Fiti_2001_Page_75_2-1) Sunia, Fofō Iosefa Fiti (2001). *Puputoa: Host of Heroes - A record of the history makers in the First Century of American Samoa, 1900-2000*. Suva, Fiji: Oceania Printers. Page 75. ISBN 9829036022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** US Census, 1880, Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, 379A

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-star_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-star_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-star_4-2) "Gatewood Lincoln of Liberty Will Go for a Cruise on the Philadelphia". *[The Kansas City Star](/source/The_Kansas_City_Star)*. Vol. 16, no. 248. Nelson. 23 May 1896. p. 8.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["US Navy Officers: 1798-1900 -- "L""](https://web.archive.org/web/20060623174647/http://www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/reg-usn-l.htm). *Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900*. [Naval History & Heritage Command](/source/Naval_History_%26_Heritage_Command). 7 April 2006. Archived from [the original](http://www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/reg-usn-l.htm) on 23 June 2006. Retrieved 25 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) (1899). [*Annual Register of the U.S. Naval Academy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3HoYAQAAIAAJ&q=Gatewood+Sanders+Lincoln&pg=PA47). [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.): [United States Government Printing Office](/source/United_States_Government_Printing_Office). p. 47. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["Miss Lincoln a Bride; Daughter of U.S. Naval Captain Weds Ensign William Sinton"](https://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9C02E3DB1E3FE432A25753C2A96E9C946395D6CF). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 20 August 1922. Retrieved 23 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["Full Text Citations For Award of The Navy Cross to Members of the US Navy: World War 1"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100803170502/http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_NX/citations/01_wwi-nc/nc_02_WW1_Navy-CDY.html). *Home of the Heroes*. [Military Times](/source/Military_Times). 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.homeofheroes.com/members/02_NX/citations/01_wwi-nc/nc_02_WW1_Navy-CDY.html) on 3 August 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** "Shippers Confer on Drafting Code". *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. 8 September 1933. p. 2.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** [United States Congress](/source/United_States_Congress) (1912). [*United States congressional serial set*](https://books.google.com/books?id=-cZZ3OA5qTEC&q=%22Gatewood+Sanders+Lincoln%22&pg=PA22). [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.): [United States Government Printing Office](/source/United_States_Government_Printing_Office). Retrieved 11 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** [Booker, Edna Lee](/source/Edna_Lee_Booker) (1940). [*News Is My Job - A Correspondent in War Torn China*](https://books.google.com/books?id=_kCJUTYLMhIC&q=gatewood+lincoln&pg=PA160). The Macmillan Company. p. 160. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-4067-4093-6](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-4067-4093-6). Retrieved 12 February 2010. {{[cite book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_book)}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility ([help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:CS1_errors#invalid_isbn_date))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** [United States Naval Academy](/source/United_States_Naval_Academy) (1915). [*Annual Register of the U.S. Naval Academy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=7HsYAQAAIAAJ&q=gatewood+lincoln&pg=RA1-PA20). [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.): [United States Government Printing Office](/source/United_States_Government_Printing_Office). p. 20. Retrieved 12 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** [Government of American Samoa](/source/Government_of_American_Samoa) (2010). ["Lieutenant Nathan Woodworth Post"](https://web.archive.org/web/20100527143258/http://americansamoa.gov/governors/lieutenant-nathan-woodworth-post). American Samoa. Archived from [the original](http://americansamoa.gov/governors/lieutenant-nathan-woodworth-post) on 27 May 2010. Retrieved 11 February 2010.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Dardani, Ross (September 2020). ["Citizenship in Empire: The Legal History of U.S. Citizenship in American Samoa, 1899-1960"](https://docs.house.gov/meetings/II/II00/20210512/112617/HHRG-117-II00-20210512-SD3043.pdf) (PDF). *American Journal of Legal History*. **60** (3): 342.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). *American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag*. Island Heritage. Page 162. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-89610-339-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-89610-339-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Darden, Thomas F. (1952). *Historical Sketch of the Naval Administration of the Government of American Samoa*. U.S. Government Printing Office. Page 29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Chapell, David A. (2000). "The Forgotten Mau: Anti-Navy Protest in American Samoa, 1920–1935". [Pacific Historical Review](/source/Pacific_Historical_Review). 69 (2): Pages 251-252. ISSN 0030-8684.

v t e Governors of American Samoa Commandant (1900–1905) Tilley Sebree Minett Underwood Naval (1905–1951) Moore Parker Crose Post Stearns Post Woodruff Poyer Terhune Evans Pollock Kellogg Bryan Graham Lincoln Spore Emerson Lincoln Landenberger Latimore Dowling Fitzpatrick Milne Hanson Wallace Wild Larsen (alongside Wild) Moyer Hobbs Hungerford Canan Houser Huber Darden Civil (1951–1978) Phelps Elliott Ewing Judd Lowe Coleman Lee Aspinall Haydon Mockler Ruth Barnett Lee Elected (since 1978) Coleman Lutali Coleman Lutali Sunia Tulafono Moliga Mauga Pula

Authority control databases VIAF GND

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Gatewood Lincoln](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatewood_Lincoln) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatewood_Lincoln?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.