Tosiwo Nakayama (中山 利雄, Nakayama Toshio, November 23, 1931 – March 29, 2007) was the first President of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). He served two terms from 1979 until 1987.
利雄 中山 was born on 23 November 1931 in on Piserach Island, part of Nomwunweito Atoll, Chuuk. He had a Japanese father and a native mother and was the older brother of FSM's ambassador to Japan, Masao Nakayama.
He first served his people in the Truk District Legislature and was President of that assembly from 1960 to 1961. After his term in Truk, he was appointed as the Micronesian Advisor to the United States Delegation to the United Nations Trusteeship Council after which he returned to Micronesia by way of Europe and Asia. In 1962 he was elected by the people to the Council of Micronesia and served there until 1963. In the following year, he was appointed as the Assistant District Administrator for Public Affairs - Truk. On September 10, 1963, he was married in Chuuk.
In 1965 he was elected to the House of Delegates of the Congress of Micronesia. He also served as a member of the Truk District Scholarship Committee, the Truk Review Advisory Board, the Truk District Recreational Committee, the Truk Board of Education, as well as many other boards and committees.
In May 1979, statehood was declared for Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae as the Federated State of Micronesia, and an elected Congress was seated. From their number, Nakayama was elected President of the new nation.
He oversaw the orderly transfer of governmental functions from the United States of America from 1979 to 1986 and served on until 1987, his maximum constitutionally allowable term. In October 1987 he took a position with the Bank of Guam, Chuuk Branch as the Vice President for Governmental Affairs, a position he held until December 2003.
His health began to fail in 1992 when he had his first stroke from which he recovered well. In 1998 he had quintuple bypass surgery. Sometime later he had laser surgery on one of his eyes which left him partially blind. In the summer of 2005, he underwent surgery for a pacemaker in order to stimulate his weak heart. Three days after that surgery he had an additional stroke that left him paralyzed and unable to speak though he was completely cognizant. The 14th Congress of the FSM passed a bill in July 2006 that allocated money to help the family with mounting medical bills. In February 2007 he was admitted in the hospital in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Nakayama died on 29 March 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States, aged 75.[1]
See also:
"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014"
citing Affiliate Name: NewsBank, Inc.; Digital film/folder number: 101231970; FHL microfilm: 101231970; Image number: 209
FamilySearch Record: QVTS-H6PL (accessed 10 July 2024)
FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9YN-ZPF1
Name: Tosiwo Nakayama; Obituary Date: 4 April 2007; Birth Date: 1932; Death Date: 2007; Relationship To Head: Head; Source Newspaper: Associated Press Archive; Age: 75; System Of Record: SLS.
"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014"
citing Affiliate Name: GenealogyBank, Inc.; Digital film/folder number: 101975781; FHL microfilm: 101975781; Image number: 509
FamilySearch Record: QKG1-DKG1 (accessed 10 July 2024)
FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSZZ-VQ4X-P
Name: Tosiwo Nakayama; Occupation: President; Death Date: 29 Mar 2007; Death Place: Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Birth Date: about 1932; Residence Date: 29 Mar 2007; Residence Place: Micronesia; Obituary Date: 04 Apr 2007; Obituary Place: Rhode Island, United States; Age: 75; Source Newspaper: Westerly Sun, The; System Of Record: SLS.
"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014"
citing Affiliate Name: NewsBank, Inc.; Digital film/folder number: 101231970; FHL microfilm: 101231970; Image number: 210
FamilySearch Record: QVTS-H6PR (accessed 10 July 2024)
FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-C9YN-ZPKP
Name: Tosiwo Nakayama; Death Date: 2007; Death Place: Hawaii; Birth Date: 1932; Obituary Date: 5 April 2007; Source Newspaper: Associated Press Archive; Relationship To Head: Head; Age: 75; System Of Record: SLS.
"Arizona, Mesa LDS Family History Center, Obituary Index, 1959-2014"
citing Page: 6; Affiliate Publication Title: Arizona Republic; Digital film/folder number: DI0001027
FamilySearch Record: 7B54-XHW2 (accessed 10 July 2024)
Name: Tosiwo Nakayama; Obituary Date: 5 Apr 2007; Obituary Place: Arizona, United States; Birth Date: 1932; Age: 75; Source Section Nbr: B.
"United States, GenealogyBank Obituaries, Births, and Marriages 1980-2014"
citing Affiliate Name: GenealogyBank, Inc.; Digital film/folder number: 101975355; FHL microfilm: 101975355; Image number: 1069
FamilySearch Record: QKLY-7WQY (accessed 10 July 2024)
FamilySearch Image: 3Q9M-CSZZ-MSSJ-9
Name: Tosiwo Nakayama; Occupation: President; Residence Date: 05 Apr 2007; Residence Place: Micronesia; Obituary Date: 05 Apr 2007; Obituary Place: Michigan, United States; Death Date: 29 Mar 2007; Death Place: Ewa Beach, Hawaii; Birth Date: about 1932; Age: 75; Source Newspaper: Grand Rapids Press, The; System Of Record: SLS.
Categories: Chuuk | Honolulu, Hawaii | Federated States of Micronesia, Notables | Notables