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His writings made him a national treasure and brought history to life for millions of readers. Joseph Saye Guanue dedicated most of his life to trying to share his passion for the historical event with the general public.
He saw himself as an everyman blessed with lifelong curiosity and the chance to take on the subjects he cared most about. Renowned Liberian historian, Dr. Joseph Saye Guannu, has died at the age of 81, just a few weeks shy of his 82nd birthday.
He died on August 29, at about 8:43 p.m. in Ganta City, Nimba after a protracted period of illness. He had been out of public sight and livingly quietly in his home city of Sanninquelle with his grandson as a caregiver. Born on September 17, 1940, Guannu was a Liberian academic, diplomat, and historian, who founded the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution at Cuttington University.
He was one of the country’s greatest and most politically respected historians whose work was widely read by many and continues to be. He was sought after for his insights on Liberian history. And during his lifetime, he authored several books, most notable of which are Liberia History before 1857, Liberian History up to 1847, and The inaugural addresses of the Presidents of Liberia from Joseph Jenkins Roberts to William Richard Tolbert Jr (1848 -1976).
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Others include An Introduction to Liberian government: The first Republic and the People’s Redemption Council from 1983-1985, Liberian Civics 2004-2010, The Perennial Problems of Liberian History 1989, and Nation-states and challenges of regional integration in West Africa, among other captivating and educative writings.
His writings made him a national treasure and brought the days of old to life for millions of readers. He dedicated most of his life to trying to share his passion for history with the general public. He saw himself as an everyman blessed with lifelong curiosity and the chance to take on the subjects he cared most about.
A former Liberian ambassador to the United States of America, Guannu was one of Liberia’s most prominent historians ever and a strong voice for understanding the importance of both Liberia’s settler and indigenous histories in efforts toward reconciliation. But before his passing, the revered historical figure was bedridden and confined to a wheelchair at his home in Sanniquellie.
Yesterday after relapsing, he was taken to Ganta but, according to a family source, he did not make it. The illness, which he had been battling for a very long period, forced him to halt all of his writing projects, one of which was History of the Origin of Nimba, according to his grandson Prince Gunnu.
Beyond academia, Guannu was known for writing several deeply researched and popular works about history, diplomacy, and statesmanship. And by writing several books that are still used as textbooks today and correcting numerous historical inaccuracies, he distinguished himself among Liberian history writers. Joena Sumo reporting
Contributing Writer: Joena Sumo
