Nelson Rolihlahla MandelaNelson Rolihlahla Mandela was a South African lawyer, politician, freedom fighter, president and peace ambassador. He was born on July 18, 1918 in Transkei, South Africa. His father was a tribal leader, Chief Henry Mandela of the Tembu tribe who had 4 wives and Mandela was the son of the third wife. Later, his father died of tuberculosis, leading the tribe's next regent to be his guardian. When he was growing up, he attended the Wesleyan Missionary School, where his teacher called him Nelson. He then went to Clarkebury Bording Institute and completed his Junior Certificate in 2 years, which would normally take three years; it was while he was there that he developed an interest in boxing and running. He later joined Fort Beaufort Wesleyan College and met his lifelong friend, Oliver Tambo, who played a major role later in his life while he was in prison and when he became president. Mandela later attended Fort Hare University College; became representative council of freshmen; boycotting university policies that led to him being kicked out of school. When his guardian, the regent of the Tembu tribe, arranged marriage for him, he decided to settle in Johannesburg; got a job as a guard at a mine and was fired when his employer learned he was the regents' runaway ward. He then began working as an articles editor at the Johannesburg law firm Witkin, Sidelsy and Edelman through the connection of his mentor, real estate agent Walter Sisulu. While he was there; he joined law school by correspondence at Landon University; earned a bachelor's degree at the University of the Witwatersrand where he received his law degree in 1942. We see that it was while he was there that he became friends with other students and...... middle of paper ......ts" the South African presidency reminding a concerned nation that Mr Mandela had "prior respiratory infections". He continued to travel across the world, meeting leaders, attending conferences and collecting awards after resigning as president mainly related to the work of the Mandela Foundation, a charitable fund he founded Works Cited Mandela, Nelson Mandela. Speaks: Forging a Democratic, Nonracial South Africa: Pathfinder, 1993. Mandela, Nelson Long Walk to Freedom. Boston and New York: Little Brown, 1994. Mandela, Nelson The Struggle Is My Life: Revised. Pathfinder, 1986. Originally published as a tribute to his 60th birthday in 1978. Speeches, writings. , historical accounts, contributions from fellow prisoners.