The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Olympio, Sylvanus
(slvän´s lmp´) (KEY) , 190263, African political leader, president of Togo from 1961 to 1963. He was active in trade before entering politics and helped bring about Togos independence from France. Before Togo became a republic in 1960, he was premier and minister of finance and justice. He was assassinated in a coup in 1963 by a group of ex-soldiers.