Joseph Rudolph Grimes

Joseph Rudolph Grimes (31 October 1923 – 7 September 2007) was a Liberian lawyer, diplomat, and statesman who served as Secretary of State of Liberia from 1960 to 1972 under President William Tubman. He previously founded the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia and served as its first dean.

Early life and education Grimes was born on 31 October 1923 to Louis Arthur Grimes, who later served as Chief Justice of Liberia, and Victoria Grimes. His sister, Mary Antoinette Brown Sherman, became the first female president of the University of Liberia and the first woman to lead a university in Africa.

He was educated at the College of West Africa before graduating from Liberia College (now the University of Liberia) with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1958 he was appointed acting Secretary of State of Liberia. Serving until 1972, he was one of the longest-serving foreign ministers in Liberian history. He was preceded by Momolu Dukuly and succeeded by Rocheforte Lafayette Weeks.

Later years In 1975 he was elected to membership in the Commission of the Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (CCIA/WCC) and served as its vice-moderator until 1983. He later served as special adviser on African affairs and representative to the United Nations in New York from 1993 to 1994.

Joseph Rudolph Grimes died on 7 September 2007 at his home in Guttenberg, New Jersey, at the age of 83.