T&T recently celebrated 53 years of Independence on August 31. We now turn our attention to celebrating our attainment of the status as a Republic 39 years ago on August 1, 1976, an occasion that is celebrated on September 24, because that is the date when the first Parliament met under the new Republican Constitution.
Being a Republic nation means the supreme power rests in all the citizens who are entitled to vote (the electorate) and that power is exercised by representatives elected, directly or indirectly, by them and who are responsible to them. Instead of allegiance to the monarchy/queen, the country is now represented by a President, its Head of State.
There have been many heroes, pioneers and role models in our nation's history in the various spheres of endeavour. When calypsonian David Rudder lamented some years ago that many had been asking him whose voice was at the beginning of the calypso Three Colours (2008/9–you can listen to it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMRcBc9WhdY), it hit home how little we know of our past! In this case it was the distinct voice of Dr Eric Williams, our country's first chief minister from 1956-1959, first premier from 1959-1962, and first prime minister from 1962 to 1981.
Many people have made outstanding contributions to the development of our twin-island Republic in the various spheres. Those include our leaders, from our colonial governors to our national leaders; those in agriculture; business; community, social work and volunteerism; culture and the arts; economics; education; environment; fashion and beauty; law; medicine; oil; politics; public service; radio and television; religion; science, engineering and architecture; sports; trade unionism; writing and journalism.
It is important that our young people in particular learn about, appreciate and be inspired by their contributions.
Profiles of those listed below by area of endeavour can be obtained from the free e-book download at http://www.safaripublications.com/firstcitizenstt/heroesprofilestt/.
Emphasis is placed on those who have spent at least part of their lives in T&T contributing to our country's development and enrichment as a nation.
THE EARLY DAYS: PHILIPPE-ROSE ROUME DE ST LAURENT (1743-1805); GROS JEAN (Around mid to late 1700s); JONAS MOHAMMED BATH (1783-1838); JOHN JACOB THOMAS (1841-1889); EMMANUEL MZUMBO LAZARE (1864-1929)
COLONIAL GOVERNORS: ANTONIO DE BERRIO (1520-1597); JOSE MARIA CHACON (1749-1833); RALPH JAMES WOODFORD (1784-1828); LORD HARRIS (GEORGE F R HARRIS) (1810-1872); ARTHUR H GORDON (1829-1912); WILLIAM ROBINSON (1836-1912); EDWARD BEETHAM (1905-1979)
OUR NATION'S MODERN LEADERS: SOLOMON HOCHOY (1905-1983); ERIC E WILLIAMS (1911-1981); ELLIS I I CLARKE (1917-2010); GEORGE M CHAMBERS (1928-1997); ARTHUR N R ROBINSON (1926-2014 ); BASDEO PANDAY (1933- ); NOOR HASSANALI (1918-2006); PATRICK MANNING (1946- ); GEORGE MAXWELL RICHARDS (1931- ); KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR (1952- ); KEITH C ROWLEY (1949- )
AGRICULTURE: NAZEER AHAMAD (1932- ); STEPHEN BENNETT (1922-2011); FRANCIS COPE (1913 -2004; JULIAN DUNCAN (1933- ); WILLIAM FREEMAN (1909-1988); FREDRICK HARDY (1889-1977); GEORGE MOONSAMMY (1922- 1986); JOHN SPENCE (1929-2013); LAWRENCE A WILSON (1934-2013)
BUSINESS: GEORGE ALSTON (1854-1918); ETHELBERT "MEG" BATTOO (1904-1980); JOSE MARIA BERMUDEZ; KARL BOOS; ERNEST CANNING; JOSEPH CHARLES (1910-1965); MARCUS and REGINALD DAVIS; SARAN TEELUCKSINGH (1889-1952); GOKOOL MEAH (1848-1940); TIMOTHY ROODAL (1884-1952); YLDEFONSO DE LIMA (1861-1927); CYRIL DUPREY (1897-1988); WILLIAM GORDON (1848-1923) and GEORGE GRANT GEDDES GRANT (1866-1934); CHANG HONG WING (About 1870-1929); GEORGE F HUGGINS (1870-1941); SHEIK MOHAMMED (S M) JALEEL (1895-1977); IBRAHIM KHAN; ISHMAEL M. KHAN (1907-1980); KEWAL K MAHARAJ (1920-2009); CHARLES MASSY (1897-1968) and HENRY NEAL (1875-1963); CHARLES McENEARNEY; RAHAMUT (1866-1941); B H ROSE (BERNARD HAYWARD) (1881-1953); ABDOU YUSSUF SABGA (1898-1985); EDUARDO SA GOMES (1893-1955); NORMAN SAMAROO (1920-2011); W H SCOTT (WILLIAM HENRY) (1885-1972); CARLOS, LUIS and ALFREDO SIEGERT; CONRAD STOLLMEYER (1813-1904); ASGARALLI SYNE; LOUIS JAY (L J) WILLIAMS (1897-1968); LOWELL YEREX
COMMUNITY, SOCIAL WORK, & VOLUNTEERISM: JAMES A ALVES (1883-1969); JAMES A A BIGGART (1877-1932); LADY THELMA E HOCHOY (1910-2010); AUDREY JEFFERS (1896-1968); CHRISTINA LEWIS (1919-1974); RHONDA MAINGOT (1946- ); DOON PANDIT (1900-1958); CLIVE PANTIN (1933- ); FR GERARD (GERRY) PANTIN (1928-2014); BELVIDIARA E MARESSE-PAUL (1838-1900)
CULTURE & THE ARTS: AUBREY C ADAMS (1919-2007); JOHN AGITATION (1927- ); M P ALLADIN (1919-1980); RAYMOND "ATILLA THE HUN" QUEVEDO (1892-1962); WINNIFRED ATWELL (1914-1983); EDWIN "CRAZY" AYOUNG (1944- ); SHEIK MOHAMMED (S M) AZIZ (1905-1963); GEORGE BAILEY (1935-1970); LIONEL "LANKY" BELASCO (Around 1880-1955); WAYNE BERKELY (1940-2011); PAT BISHOP (1941-2011); JOSE and IGNACIO BODU; HUGH BORDE (1933- ); LORD BRYNER (KADE SIMON) (1937-1980); PATRICK S CASTAGNE (1916-2000); PAUL CASTILLO; MICHEL JEAN CAZABON (1813 �1888); CARLISLE CHANG (1921- 2001); RUDOLPH CHARLES (1938-1985); PATRICK 'PAT' W. CHU FOON (1932-1998); ALFREDO CODALLO (1913-1970); EDRIC CONNOR (1913-1968); ALVIN DANIELL (1943- ); CHAMPA DEVI/FATIMA RAHIM (1923-2001); WINSFORD 'JOKER' DEVINE (1943- ); WALTER DOUGLAS (1895-1977); THORA DUMBELL (1924- ); SEL DUNCAN (1924-1983); FELIX EDINBOROUGH (1943- ); JULIA EDWARDS (1933- ); JACOB D ELDER (1913-2003); DENZIL "DIMES" FERNANDEZ (1944- ); ROSALIND GABRIEL (1948- ); PHILIP "LORD EXECUTOR" GARCIA (Around 1880-1952); GEORGE ' SONNY' GODDARD (1924-1988); EDMUND HART (1923- ) and LIL HART (1930-1991); OU EDWIN HING WAN (1932-1976); BOSCOE HOLDER (1921-2007); FREDERICK "HOUDINI" WILMOTH (1885-1973); RUPERT "LORD INVADER" W GRANT (1914-1961); JOYCE KIRTON; FREDDIE KISSOON (1933- ); ALDWYN ROBERTS (LORD KITCHENER) (1922-2000); HARBANCE KUMAR; THELMA LANE; NORMAN LE BLANC; ELLIOT "ELLIE" MANNETTE (1927- ); BERTRAM 'BERTIE' MARSHALL (1936- ); BERYL MCBURNIE (1914-2000); IRVIN "MAC" MCWILLIAMS (1920-2007); PETER MINSHALL (1941- ); KEN MORRIS (1924-1992); NOEL P NORTON (1927-2012); MARJORIE PADMORE (1928-1981); SUNDAR POPO (1943-2000); NORMAN "KING RADIO" SPAN; DRUPATEE RAMGOONAI (1959- ); CALYPSO ROSE (MCARTHA LINDA SANDY-LEWIS) (1940- ); HAROLD "SALLY" SALDENHA (1925-1985); RANJIT "JIT" S SAMAROO (1950- ); BERNADETTE T (LAUGHLIN) SCOTT (1946- ); LENNOX (LEN) "BOOGSIE" SHARPE (1953- ); RAS SHORTY I (GARFIELD BLACKMAN) (1941-2000); WINSTON 'SPREE' SIMON (1930-1976); THE MIGHTY SPARROW (SLINGER FRANCISCO) (1935- ); WILFRED STRASSER; CITO VELASQUEZ (1928-2006); DAISY VOISIN (1924-1991); OLIVE WALKE (1911-1969); ANTHONY WILLIAMS (1931- ); DUNSTAN "DEW" E WILLIAMS (1935-2004); JOHN 'BUDDY' WILLIAMS (1911-1995); STEPHEN (1921- ) and ELSIE LEE HEUNG (1925-2006)
ECONOMICS: LLOYD BEST (1934-2007); WILLIAM G DEMAS (1929-1998); ARTHUR LEWIS (1915-1991)
EDUCATION: CLARENCE C ABIDH (1884-1952); BISHOP ARTHUR H ANSTEY (1872-1955); BRIDGET BRERETON (1946- ); KNOLLY A BUTLER (1931- ); JOSEPH O CUTTERIDGE (1887-1952); SHAMSHU DEEN (1947- ); RAPHAEL DOUGLASS (1927-2012); FR LEONARD J GRAF (1884-1970); ROBERT J L GUPPY (1836-1916); PATRICK KEENAN; ARTHUR LAI FOOK (1919-2013) PAULA LUCIE-SMITH (1960- ); MAX MURPHY (1902-1973); ARCHBISHOP FINBAR RYAN (1881-1975); CHARLES SOODEEN (1849-1926); FREDERICK STREETLY (1893-1952); HAROLD F SWANN (1890-1982)
ENVIRONMENT: PETER BACON (1938-2003); JOHN A. BULBROOK (1881-1967); THOMAS C CAMBRIDGE (1906-1967); MOLLY GASKIN; WILLIAM INGRAM (1847-1924); JULIAN KENNY (1930- 2011)
FASHION & BEAUTY: JANELLE PENNY COMMISSIONG (1953- ); WENDY FITZWILLIAM (1972- ); GISELLE JEANNE-MARIE LARONDE-WEST (1963-); MEILING ESAU (1946)
LAW: FRANCIS EVELYN MOHAMMED (F E M) HOSEIN (1882-1936); JEAN PERMANAND; LENNOX A P O'REILLY (1880-1949); CHARLES WILLIAMS WARNER (1807-1887); HUGH O B WOODING (1904-1974)
MEDICINE: BERT ACHONG (1928-1996); COURTENAY BARTHOLOMEW (1931- ); MICHAEL BEAUBRUN (1924-2002); ANDRE CIPRIANI (1908-1956); LOUIS A A DE VERTEUIL (1807-1900); SAMUEL EBENEZER ELLIOT (1901-1969); SAMUEL F GHOURALAL (1925-1991); BARBARA HULL (1939- ); WINSTON INCE (1930- ); ANTOINE LEOTAUD (1814-1867); ARTHUR MCSHINE (1876-1948); HALSEY MCSHINE (1912-2006); J LENNOX PAWAN (1887-1957); HENRY PIERRE (1904-1984); THEODOSIUS POON-KING (1928- ); ELIZABETH QUAMINA (1929 � 1997); LALL SAWH (1951- ); LESLIE SPENCE (1922- ); ELISHA TIKASINGH (1927- )
OIL: ARTHUR BEEBY-THOMPSON; WALTER DARWENT (1821-1868); GEORGE R GILKES (1863-1914); HANS G KUGLER (1893-1986); JOHN LEE LUM (1842-1921); RANDOLPH T H RUST (1854-1930)
POLITICS: RUDRANATH CAPILDEO (1920-1970); MAKANDAL DAAGA (1935- ); ALBERT GOMES (1911-1978); ALPHONSO P T JAMES (1901-1962); BHADASE SAGAN MARAJ (1920-1971); MURIEL DONAWA McDAVIDSON (1929-2001); KAMALUDDIN MOHAMMED (1927- ); MICHAEL MAXWELL PHILIP (1829-1888); KARL T HUDSON-PHILLIPS (1933- ); LIONEL F SEUKERAN (1908-1992); ISABEL TESHEA (1911-1981)
PUBLIC SERVICE: JOHN BRIERLY (Around 1835-1915); RANDOLPH BURROUGHS (1930-1996); EDWIN W CARRINGTON (1939- ); WILLIAM DE BOISSI�RE (1872-1947); KAYE DOWLAND; JEAN (GENE) MILES (1930-1972); JESSICA PHILLIPS (1925-1986); ENOS SEWLAL; JOYCE WONG SANG
RADIO & TELEVISION: IAN ALI (1937-2007); SALISHA ALI (1951-1987); HOLLY BETAUDIER (1925- ); HANSLEY "HANS" HANOOMANSINGH (1942- ); ALLYSON BRENDA HENNESSY (1948-2011); RALPH "RAPHIE" KNOWLES (1915-1975); SURUJPAT "PAT" MATHURA (1923-2007); SHAM MOHAMMED (1936-1994); HAZEL WARD (1933- ); KATHLEEN "AUNTY KAY" WARNER (1904-1996)
RELIGION: AMEER ALI (1898-1973); SYED ABDUL AZIZ (1862-1927); PUNDIT CAPILDEO (1871-1926); THOMAS DE BARCELONA; KENNETH GRANT (1839-1931); ELTON G GRIFFITH (1913-1992); MOHAMMED IBRAHIM (1890-1956); CHARLES D. LALLA (1880-1958); HENRY MACLEOD; RUKNUDEEN MEAH (1865-1963); BHADASE SAGAN MARAJ (1920-1971); JOHN MORTON (1839-1912); SARAH MORTON (1843-1929); JOHN G MULHAUSER (1810-1844); ARCHBISHOP ANTHONY PANTIN (1929-2000); CHARLES B RAGBIR (1865-1951); RICHARD RAWLE (1812-1889)
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