Sam Ratulangi

ABOUT SAM RATULANGI

Indonesian politician, teacher, and national hero known for being part of the committee that ratified the Constitution of Indonesia, for his activism and dedication to Indonesian independence, and for serving as the first Governor of Sulawesi, an island that is part of Indonesia.

He graduated from high school in 1908 and began working in railroad construction. He then began attending university in Amsterdam, before transferring to the University of Zurich in Switzerland. He returned to Indonesia in 1919. He was a math and science teacher before he began campaigning against Dutch colonialism in the area and became involved in politics.

His writings contained the first known instance of the word "Indonesia" being used in official documents. Indonesia used to be known as the Dutch West Indies. He authored several important books and documents. He was posthumously awarded the title of National Hero of Indonesia in the year 1961.

He was in Tondano in North Sulawesi, Indonesia. His parents died when he was a young man. He married twice and had 5 children. He died on June 30th, 1949 after suffering health complications while under house arrest.

He served under the first Indonesian President Sukarno and Vice President Mohammad Hatta .