George Landenberger

{{Short description|United States Navy officer and governor of American Samoa (1879–1936)}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = George Landenberger | honorific_suffix = | image = George Landenberger 1932.jpg | alt = | caption = Landenberger as governor in 1932 | office = [[Governor of American Samoa]] | term_start = May 12, 1932 | term_end = April 10, 1934 | lieutenant = | predecessor = [[Gatewood Lincoln]] | successor = [[Thomas Latimore]] | birth_name = George Bertram Landenberger | birth_date = May 12, 1879 | birth_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1936|01|15|1879|05|12|df=yes}} | death_place = [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]] | party = | spouse = | alma_mater = [[United States Naval Academy]] | occupation = Naval officer | signature = | signature_alt =  | nickname = | allegiance = {{flag|United States|1912}} | branch = {{nowrap|[[File:United States Department of the Navy Seal.svg|30px|United States Navy Seal]]}} [[United States Navy]] | service_years = | rank = [[File:US-O6 insignia.svg|30px]] [[Captain (United States)|Captain]] | unit = | commands = {{USS|Indiana|BB-1|6}} {{USS|Pennsylvania|ACR-4|6}} {{USS|Arkansas|BB-33|6}} [[United States Naval Districts#15th Naval District|15th Naval District]] [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]] Destroyer squad of the [[Asiatic Fleet]] | battles = | awards = [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]] }}

'''George Bertram Landenberger''' (May 12, 1879 – January 15, 1936) was a [[United States Navy]] [[Captain (United States)|Captain]] and the [[governor of American Samoa]], from May 12, 1932, to April 10, 1934. Landenberger commanded many ships during his naval career, as well as two naval yards. He received the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]] for his actions commanding {{USS|Indiana|BB-1|6}} during [[World War I]]. He died of cancer in 1936, one year after retiring from military service.

==Life==

===Early life=== Landenberger was born in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]], on May 12, 1879.<ref name=calendar/>

===Naval career=== Landenberger attended the [[United States Naval Academy]] from [[Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]], on May 10, 1896, graduating in 1900.<ref>{{cite book|year=1898|title=The Lucky Bag of the United States Naval Academy|volume=5|pages=41|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lOkaAAAAYAAJ&q=george+bertram+landenberger&pg=PA41|access-date=22 February 2010}}</ref> As an ensign, he joined the [[United States Asiatic Fleet]], eventually joining forces in the [[Philippines]].<ref name=Obit/> Landenberger served on {{USS|Alabama|BB-8|6}} during 1906.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bureau of Naval Personnel|author-link=Bureau of Naval Personnel|title=Register of The Commissioned and Warrant Officers Of The United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|year=1906|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_64-2aA9c9aYC/page/n40 34]|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_64-2aA9c9aYC|quote=george bertram landenberger.|access-date=22 February 2010}}</ref> In 1915, he served as a [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander]] on {{USS|Louisiana|BB-19|6}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Bureau of Naval Personnel|author-link=Bureau of Naval Personnel|title=Register of The Commissioned and Warrant Officers Of The United States Navy and Marine Corps and Reserve Officers on Active Duty|publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office]]|location=[[Washington, D.C.]]|year=1915|pages=267|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9ZSlyS7MrzAC&q=george+landenberger&pg=RA1-PA267|access-date=22 February 2010}}</ref>

Landenberger received the [[Navy Cross (United States)|Navy Cross]] for his service as commanding officer of {{USS|Indiana|BB-1|6}} during the [[First World War]]. The citation read: "The Navy Cross is awarded to Captain George Landenberger, U.S. Navy, for exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility as commanding officer of the U.S.S. Indiana, in the Atlantic Fleet." After ''Indiana'', Landenberger commanded two other ships, {{USS|Pennsylvania|ACR-4|6}} in 1930 and {{USS|Arkansas|BB-33|6}} in 1932, as well as the entire destroyer squadron of the Asiatic Fleet from 1924 to 1926.<ref name=Obit/>

Right before becoming the governor of [[American Samoa]], Landenberger was in the post of Chief of Staff of the [[United States Naval Districts#15th Naval District|15th Naval District]] in the [[Panama Canal Zone]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Named Governor of American Samoa |last=Associated Press |author-link=Associated Press |date=6 May 1932|work=[[The New York Times]]|pages=19}}</ref> This followed an appointment to the command of the Naval Station on [[Yerba Buena Island|Goat Island]].<ref name=Obit/> After serving as governor, he was reassigned as head of the [[Philadelphia Naval Shipyard]].<ref name=Obit/>

===Later life=== Landenberger retired from service in 1935 to [[Haverford, Pennsylvania]]. December 10 of that year, Landenberger underwent treatment for lung problems, receiving several [[blood transfusion]]s.<ref name=Obit>{{cite news|title=G. B. Landenberger, Navy Captain, Dies: Retired Officer Served for 35—Held Many Important Posts During Career|date=16 January 1936|work=[[The New York Times]]|pages=21}}</ref> He died on January 15, 1936, of [[sarcoma]] of the chest. He died at the Naval Hospital in [[Philadelphia]].<ref name=calendar>{{cite web|url=http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf |title=The Samoan Historical Calendar, 1606-2007 |last=Sorensen |first=Stan |author2=Joseph Theroux |year=2007 |publisher=Government of American Samoa |access-date=22 February 2010 |pages=16, 56, 84 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325111039/http://americansamoa.gov/history/samhist_forweb.pdf |archive-date=25 March 2009 }}</ref>

==Governorship== Landenberger became [[Governor of American Samoa]] on May 12, 1932, succeeding [[Gatewood Lincoln]].<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sorensen |first=Stan |date=16 May 2008 |title=Historical Notes |journal=Tapuitea |publisher=[[Government of American Samoa]] |volume=III |issue=20 |pages=2 |url=http://americansamoa.gov/tap08/Tapuitea080516.pdf |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081127182016/http://americansamoa.gov/tap08/Tapuitea080516.pdf |archive-date=27 November 2008 }}</ref> He served until April 10, 1934.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Sorensen |first=Stan |date=11 April 2008 |title=Historical Notes |journal=Tapuitea |publisher=[[Government of American Samoa]] |volume=III |issue=15 |pages=2 |url=http://americansamoa.gov/tap08/Tapuitea080411.pdf |access-date=22 February 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527141702/http://americansamoa.gov/tap08/Tapuitea080411.pdf |archive-date=27 May 2010 }}</ref>

As Governor, Landenberger enhanced the annual [[American Samoa Fono]] sessions by hosting delegates and community leaders for lunches at the [[Government House (American Samoa)|Government House]]. He declared that only urgent matters should be directed to him, with all other issues to be resolved by the Fono. In response, High Orator [[Tuiasosopo Mariota]] and the [[Eastern District, American Samoa|Eastern District]] passed a resolution in the following Fono stating that "no new laws should be made or changed unless first decided in the Fono." While Governor Landenberger denied this resolution, he wrote to the U.S. Navy in Washington, D.C., highlighting the significant attachment the American Samoan people felt towards their Fono. Landenberger initiated a review of land ownership and matai laws, proposing that part-Samoans who had lived in the islands for five years and adopted the Samoan way of life be entitled to hold matai titles. Despite strong opposition, this led to a change in the blood requirement for holding matai titles, reducing it from 100% to 75%.<ref> 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. Pages 63-64. ISBN 9829036022.</ref>

In 1932, Governor Landenberger established the territory’s first Department of Agriculture to expand and improve agricultural production. An experimental farm was set up at [[Taputimu, American Samoa|Taputimu]], but limited engagement from local farmers meant the project produced few results.<ref>Shaffer, Robert J. (2000). ''American Samoa: 100 Years Under the United States Flag''. Island Heritage. Page 166. {{ISBN|978-0-89610-339-9}}.</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Landenberger, George Bertram}} [[Category:1879 births]] [[Category:1936 deaths]] [[Category:Governors of American Samoa]] [[Category:United States Navy officers]] [[Category:Military personnel from Philadelphia]] [[Category:Recipients of the Navy Cross (United States)]] [[Category:United States Naval Academy alumni]] [[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War I]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania]]