Angie Brooks

Angie Elizabeth Brooks[1] (August 24, 1928 – September 9, 2007) was a Liberian diplomat and jurist. She was the only African female President of the United Nations General Assembly.[2] She was also the second woman from any nation to head the U.N.[3]

Angie Brooks
Angie Brooks-Randolph, 1975
President, 24th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
Preceded byEmilio Arenales Catalán
Succeeded byEdvard Hambro
Personal details
BornAugust 24, 1928
Virginia, Liberia
DiedSeptember 9, 2007 (aged 79)
Houston, Texas, United States
ProfessionDiplomat, attorney

In 1954 she became Liberia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations,[2] where much of her work involved the transformation of former colonial states into independent countries.[4] In 1969, she was chosen as the President of the General Assembly and took office in 1970.

She also served as Assistant Secretary of State of Liberia.[2][4] Her tenure as Permanent Representative ended in 1977, when she was appointed an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia. Nominated by President Tolbert on 4 May and taking office two days later, she was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of Liberia.[5]

Biography

Born of mixed Vai, Grebo, and Mandingo heritage, Brooks was the daughter of an indigent Baptist minister and one of nine children, Brooks was raised by a widowed seamstress.[4] After a teenage marriage and divorce[4] to Richard A. Henries (who later became Speaker of the Liberian House of Representatives), she decided to seek a higher education. Brooks partially financed her studies by working as a dishwasher, laundress, a library assistant, and nurse's aide.[4] In 1949, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in social science from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States.[2] Three years later, she got a Bachelor of Law degree and a Master of Science degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.[2] Brooks earned Doctor of Law degrees, from Shaw University and Howard University in 1962 and 1967 respectively.[2] She also did graduate work in international law at the University College Law School of the University of London in 1952 and 1953,[2][4] and obtained a Doctor of Civil Law degree from the University of Liberia in 1964.[2]

Brooks previously served as Counsellor-at-law to the Supreme Court of Liberia in August 1953, and as Assistant Attorney-General of Liberia from August 1953 to March 1958.[2] She was also a part-time Professor of Law at University of Liberia from 1954 to 1958.[2]

Brooks was a member of the Eta Beta Omega international chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[6]

Angie Brooks had two biological sons, Richard A. Henries II and Wynston Henries. In addition, she was also a foster mother to daughters Marjorie and Eda.[4] After her divorce from Richard A. Henries I, she later married Isaac M Randolph.

She died on September 9, 2007 in Houston, Texas, United States.[7] Brooks received a state funeral in Liberia and was buried in her birthplace of Virginia in Montserrado County.[8]

See also

References
  1. sometimes referred to as Angie Brooks Randolph
  2. United Nations, "Miss Angie Brooks Elected President Of The Twenty-Fourth Session of the General Assembly
  3. Jennifer S. Uglow et al., Northeastern Dictionary of Women's Biography
  4. "Everybody's Miss Brooks, Time, Friday, September 26, 1969(subscription required)
  5. "Angie takes her seat". [Monrovia] Sunday Express 1977-05-08: 1/4.
  6. "AKA International, "Historical Overview"". Archived from the original on 2007-03-30.
  7. Liberia: Gender Ministry Regrets Angie Brooks Death
  8. The Executive Mansion, Liberia, "Funeral of Angie Brooks Randolph Archived December 11, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
Diplomatic posts
Preceded by
Emilio Arenales Catalan		 President of the United Nations General Assembly
1969		 Succeeded by
Edvard Hambro
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