Laurence Wild was a United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 Captain, college basketball

College basketball

College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....

 player and coach, and the 30th Governor of American Samoa from August 8, 1940 to June 5, 1942. Wild was born in Wilber, Nebraska

Wilber, Nebraska

Wilber is a city in Saline County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 1,855 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Saline County. Wilber is the official "Czech Capital of the USA" and hosts an annual Czech festival in August...

, and lived in the 4th Congressional District

Nebraska's 4th congressional district

Nebraska's 4th congressional district is an obsolete district. It was created after the 1890 census and abolished after the 1960 census.- List of Representatives :-References:*...

 of Nebraska

Nebraska

Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....

 for much of his adult life. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy

United States Naval Academy

The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...

 in 1913; while there he played for the Navy Midshipmen men's basketball

Navy Midshipmen men's basketball

The Navy Midshipmen men's basketball team represents the United States Naval Academy, in Annapolis, Maryland, in NCAA Division I college basketball...

, and was named an 1913 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American

1913 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans

The 1913 College Basketball All-American team, as chosen by the Helms Foundation. The player highlighted by gold indicates that he was chosen as the Helms Foundation Player of the Year....

. He returned as head coach of the team for one year (1913–14), coaching for ten games and winning all of them.

While a Lieutenant commander

Lieutenant commander (United States)

Lieutenant commander is a mid-ranking officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade of O-4 and NATO rank code OF-3...

, Wild served as a communications officer for Submarine Squadron 11

Submarine Squadron 11

Submarine Squadron 11 is a squadron of submarines based at Point Loma Submarine Base, San Diego, California, United States.- History :...

. President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 Franklin Roosevelt recommended Wild for the rank of Captain in 1939.

During his governorship, a more complicated political structure arose in American Samoa

American Samoa

American Samoa is an unincorporated territory of the United States located in the South Pacific Ocean, southeast of the sovereign state of Samoa...

 when Brigadier general

Brigadier general (United States)

A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed...

 Henry Louis Larsen

Henry Louis Larsen

Henry Louis Larsen was a United States Marine Corps Lieutenant General, the second Military Governor of Guam following its recapture from the Empire of Japan, and the first post-World War II Governor of Guam. He also served as the Military Governor of American Samoa alongside civilian Governor of...

 of the United States Marine Corp became Military Governor and Island Commander of Tutuila

Tutuila

Tutuila is the largest and the main island of American Samoa in the archipelago of Samoan Islands. It is the third largest island in the Samoan Islands chain of the Central Pacific located roughly northeast of Brisbane, Australia and over northeast of Fiji. It contains a large, natural harbor,...

. Though Larsen outranked him and commanded the military on the island, Wild held the senior position, and ultimately maintained control over the administration of all the islands in American Samoa. On March 13, 1941, Wild ordered the construction of an airfield on the main island. He died in Coronado, California

Coronado, California

Coronado, also known as Coronado Island, is an affluent resort city located in San Diego County, California, 5.2 miles from downtown San Diego. Its population was 24,697 at the 2010 census, up from 24,100 at the 2000 census. U.S. News and World Report lists Coronado as one of the most expensive...

on May 26, 1971.