Léopold Sédar Senghor ( October 9, 1906 – December 20, 2001) was a Senegalese poet and statesman, serving as his country's first president from 1960 to 1980.

Born in the small town of Joal, Léopold's father was a wealthy businessman of noble descent, his mother was Muslim of Peuk origin belonging to the Tabor tribe.



When Léopold was eight he was sent to a boarding school, and at 12 he entered a seminary in Dakar, finishing secondary school in 1928.



Winning a state scholarship, Senghor moved to Paris, graduating from the Lycée Louis-le-grand in 1931. During this time he read African-American poets of the Harlem renaissance and French poets like Rimbaud. In 1932 he became a French citizen, served in the infantry and in 1935 obtained a degree in grammar.



Senghor then worked in Paris as a teacher, and at the outbreak of World War II he joined the French army. Captured by the Germans, he spent 18 months as a prisoner of war. There he learned German and wrote poetry which was later published.



Senghor's first collection of poems Chants D'Ombre was published in 1945, and in 1947 he helped create, Présence Africaine a cultural journal. He then became a member of the French National Assembly.



In 1946 Senghor married and the couple had two sons.



In 1956 Senghor became mayor of the city of Thies in Senegal, then advisory minister from 1959 to 1961. He was also a member of the committee that drafted Senegal's fifth constitution.



Senghor divorced and later married in 1957, together they had one son.



Senghor became President of the newly formed Federal Assembly, until it failed, he then became the first President of the Republic of Senegal in 1960. In 1967 he survived an attempted assassination, remaining Senegal's President until 1980.



In 1964 he published the first in a series entitled, Liberté, a collection of essays. The fifth and last being published in 1993.



Widely acclaimed as a poet, he helped create the concept of, Négritude which attempted to focus on distinctive African themes and values, hoping to draw his country's literature from the traditional French culture. Controversial, some saw Négritude as anti-white, though supporters claimed it simply shifted focus on multi-culturalism which helped strengthen African identity in Senegal. His poetry has been translated into several languages including English. His own writing style is said to be mystical and have received world wide critical acclaim. He has said that his own work would have been superficial had he remained simply a teacher and not become more involved in Senegal's growth. His influences were broad, borrowing from American and French poets and his lithesome style attempted a departure from traditional styles.



Senghor was elected to the French Academy in 1983, the first African so honored. He spent his last years in Normandy, where he died on December 20, 2001.





