Samoan Independence—in Pennsylvania

In March—more than three months after Western Samoa attained her independence—fellow students of an Apia boy, Lalomilo Kamu, helped him celebrate the event at Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he is studying for an Arts degree. Milo is the son of the Rev. Kamu Taga’olo, Methodist Minister and district superintendent of the Methodist Church at Matafele. He plans to take a degree of Bachelor of Divinity at Drew University, Madison, NJ—he will be the first Western Samoan to hold this degree—and then return to Samoa to teach in a school for ministers.

Milo first went to America six years ago with a scholarship from the Methodist Church, and has continued his studies with financial help from a family who heard him speak in a Pennsylvania Church, and from the Moravian College. The undergraduate body of 850 attended the Independence celebrations at Moravian. Main speaker on the occasion was author James Mitchener, seen in the photo (at left) with Milo and the president of Moravian College, Dr. Raymond S. Haupert. They are holding the West Samoan flag which will hang in the college union building.