Nass­er Khan

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)

�2 Con­tin­ues on page B35