Andon Amaraich

He was Assistant Clerk to the Truk (Chuuk) District Court from 1955 to 1956, then served for ten years as Chief Public Defender.

From 1976 to 1987, he was chairman the Commission on the Future Political Status and Transition, before being appointed chief negotiator on the Compact of Free Association with the United States – described as "one of his greatest accomplishments".

In that function, he "played an instrumental role in developing diplomatic relationships with other nations" around the world, and "almost single-handedly organized the Department of External Affairs".

[1] He was only the second Chief Justice in the country's history, and the first Micronesian citizen to hold that post – King being an American.

[1] Suffering from "pneumonia and other complications",[3] Amaraich travelled to Honolulu on January 15 2010 for "medical tests and treatment".