The University of Liberia (UL) has launched the first annual Amos C. Sawyer Public Lecture Series, an initiative aimed at nurturing, developing, and sustaining a vibrant academic community of researchers, scholars, and academics both within UL and beyond.
Convened by the Amos Claudius Sawyer Educational Foundation (ACSEF), the inaugural lecture was held at the UL Fendall Campus in Louisiana, Montserrado County.
The forum, hosted by the Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities is designed to provide a platform for distinguished scholars, academics, and statesmen to engage the university community on a wide range of topics reflecting the life, work, and vision of the late Dr. Amos C. Sawyer.
Speaking during the event, Prof. Agnes Reeves Taylor, UL Vice President for Academic Affairs and Officer-in-Charge, extended a warm welcome on behalf of UL President Prof. Dr. Layli Maparyan.
“We’re very grateful. To the Sawyer Foundation and the Sawyer family, thank you for agreeing to house this lecture series at our university. The legacy of Dr. Amos Sawyer will continue to live on,” Taylor said
The late Dr. Amos C. Sawyer was a renowned Liberian statesman, political scientist, and professor at the University of Liberia. He also served as Liberia’s Interim President during the early 1990s.
Delivering the keynote address, Prof. Dew Tuan-Wleh Mayson a close associate of Dr. Sawyer and a respected Liberian diplomat and businessman commended the Foundation for advancing Sawyer’s enduring legacy.
“I know that one can only live once. But if you live once and you live well, once is enough. And Sawyer lived well, he lived right. That is why we remain hopeful, even in sorrow. When the names of our national heroes and heroines are called, Amos Sawyer’s will be in a place of honor,” Mayson said.
Mayson described Dr. Sawyer as a rare individual who embodied both intelligence and integrity qualities essential for leadership but seldom found in the same person.
He added that while philosophers have historically interpreted the world in various ways, Dr. Sawyer sought to change it for the better through his scholarship and activism.
The dean of the Amos C. Sawyer College, Josephus Gray emphasized that the lecture series reflects the vision and dreams of its namesake.
“Beyond commemorating Dr. Sawyer, this forum fosters a dynamic academic environment that promotes quality teaching, innovative research, and enhances the global reputation of the University of Liberia,” Gray noted.
He added that students and faculty are inspired to transform the university’s current narrative by reflecting on Dr. Sawyer’s life, work, and ideals.
The initiative encourages collaboration, critical thinking, communication, and research skills all aimed at preparing students to contribute meaningfully to national and global development.
Gray also recognized the pivotal support provided by the Sawyer Foundation and its Board of Directors, citing their contributions in scholarships, educational materials, and office supplies to the College.
The widow of the late Sawyer, Thelma E. Duncan Sawyer, expressed her pride in the initiative and thanked the UL administration for honoring her husband’s legacy.
“With the help of the Board of Directors, our family, friends, and the Foundation, we will do everything we can to give back to this college,” she pledged.
She also thanked the University for providing space for a dedicated reading room and urged students to cherish and respect the resources that will be made available there.
“Use his books wisely. Please, do not tear the pages just because you want to do some work. Learn from what’s there,” she encouraged the students.
