MONROVIA – The Amos C. Sawyer Educational Foundation has announced an ambitious three-day program of commemorative events to honor the legacy, vision, and enduring contributions of the late Professor Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, marking what would have been his 80th birthday in June.
According to a press release issued by the Foundation on Wednesday, June 12, 2025, the celebration will feature a diverse blend of academic, interfaith, and cultural activities beginning Friday, June 13, and climaxing Sunday, June 15. The initiative is intended to reflect Dr. Sawyer’s lifelong commitment to national dialogue, intellectual growth, interreligious harmony, and cultural preservation.
The events begin with a Jum-AH prayer session at the Fish Market masjid on Friday, June 13. The occasion will include reflections from Imam Ali Krayee, who will deliver a spiritual and scholarly homage to Dr. Sawyer’s legacy, offering prayers for peace and unity in Liberia. That same afternoon, the Fendell campus of the University of Liberia, home to the Dr. Amos C. Sawyer College of Social Sciences and Humanities, will host the inaugural lecture of what is set to become the Annual Amos C. Sawyer Academic Lecture Series and Prestigious Award. The lecture will be delivered by Professor Dew Tuan Wleh Mason, a respected academic, diplomat, and progressive thinker known for his influential role in Liberia’s intellectual and political evolution.
In what promises to be one of the most memorable highlights, the Foundation will hold a fundraising and awards dinner on Saturday, June 14, at 6 p.m. in the ballroom of Monrovia City Hall. The event will recognize two of Liberia’s most esteemed cultural figures. Dr. Abba Karnga will be honored for his groundbreaking work in preserving the Bassa language and for his lifelong dedication to Christian missionary service. The late Professor Agnes Nebo von Ballmoos will be honored posthumously for her outstanding contributions to Liberian music and folklore, particularly her pioneering work in ethnomusicology and her leadership of the University of Liberia Choir.
Adding to the significance of the evening, Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee will serve as one of the key launchers of the awards and fundraising segment. The dinner is expected to attract a cross section of dignitaries, including high ranking government officials, religious leaders, and representatives from across Liberia’s political landscape, echoing Dr. Sawyer’s legacy of inclusive national engagement.
The celebration will culminate on Sunday, June 15, with a dedication service at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church on 10th Street in Sinkor. The service will pay tribute to the “Patron Saint” of the Foundation, concluding a weekend that not only honors a revered statesman and intellectual but also reaffirms the national values Dr. Sawyer championed: peace, scholarship, patriotism, and unity.
Dr. Sawyer, who served as interim president of Liberia during a critical period of transition and later as Chair of the Governance Commission, remains one of the nation’s most influential thinkers. His enduring impact on democratic governance and civil society continues to inspire new generations of Liberians and global advocates for peace and justice.
