François Duvalier

François Duvalier completed a degree in medicine from the University of Haiti in 1934 and spent a year at the University of Michigan studying public health. In 1943 he became active in a campaign to control the spread of contagious tropical diseases in Haiti, and patients affectionately called him "Papa Doc," a moniker he used throughout his life. He served as Minister for Public Health and Labor under Dumarsais Estimé, then was elected president in the 1957 general election on a populist and black nationalist platform. After thwarting a military coup d'état in July 1958, his regime rapidly became more autocratic. He was unanimously "re-elected" in 1961 as the only candidate, then declared himself president for life in 1964 after another sham referendum. An undercover government death squad, the Tonton Macoute, indiscriminately tortured or killed his opponents and eventually came to number 300,000; more than half of the government budget was allocated to the group and the Presidential Guard. He incorporated elements of Vodou into a personality cult and remained in power until his death in 1971, succeeded by his son Jean-Claude.