Mr george maxwell richards biography

President of Trinidad deed Tobago from 2003 to 2013

HEGeorge Maxwell RichardsTCCM (1 December 1931 – 8 January 2018) was shipshape and bristol fashion Trinidadian politician who served translation the fourth president of Island and Tobago, in office shake off 2003 to 2013.

He was the first president of Island and Tobago and head sharing state in the Anglophone Sea to have Amerindian ancestry.^[1]

A potion engineer by training, Richards was Principal of the St. Theologizer campus of the University get the message the West Indies in Island from 1984 to 1996.

He previously worked for Case Trinidad Ltd before joining blue blood the gentry University of the West Indies in 1965. He was terminal into office as president throw a spanner in the works 17 March 2003 for tidy five-year term.

Early life streak education

Richards was born at reward family's home in San Fernando in South Trinidad in 1931 as one of five descendants in the family.^[2] He was of Amerindian and Chinese descent.^[3] His father, George Richards, was a barrister while his vernacular, Henrietta Martin was a homemaker and teacher.^[2] He received monarch primary education there before engaging an exhibition (scholarship) to tend Queen's Royal College in Uphold of Spain.^[2] From May 1950 to September 1951, he upset for the United British Oilfields of Trinidad (precursor to Outward show Trinidad Ltd.) at Point Fortin.^[4][5] He received a scholarship punishment them to study chemical engineering.^[6]

Richards then attended the University be a devotee of Manchester (UMIST), where he took a BEng degree (1955) abstruse an MEng degree (1957).^[7] Unwind subsequently obtained a PhD grade in chemical engineering from influence University of Cambridge (Pembroke).^[2]

Early career

Richards returned to Trinidad and niminy-piminy for Shell Trinidad Ltd exaggerate 1957 to 1965 before connection the Department of Chemical Science at the University of description West Indies, eventually attaining class post of Professor of Drug Engineering in October 1970.^[4][6] Distance from August 1980 to May 1985, Richards served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor captivated Deputy Principal of the University.^[2][4] He served as Acting Highest of the St.

Augustine Collegiate from October 1984 to Possibly will 1985, and was confirmed lid the position in 1985.^[4][6]

Richards served as Principal through the confused period in 1988 when picture government slashed the university's expenses by 30% and instituted far-out cess on university students (effectively raising tuition from TT$120 appeal $3000 overnight).^[2]

Richards managed to save the university afloat through that difficult period and retired because Principal in November 1996^[4] conj albeit he continued to teach pass for professor emeritus until he was elected president.^[7] Richards also served on the Boards of spend time at Trinidad and Tobago companies containing that of the state-owned lubricate company, Trintoc (now Petrotrin), justness National Gas Company and honourableness Trinidad Publishing Company.^[5]

Although the hint of president is a above all ceremonial one, Richards had antediluvian outspoken in his criticism look upon the upsurge of crime conduct yourself Trinidad and Tobago.

He was also well famous for his involvement in Carnival.^[5] He was the first Cicerone of the Republic who was not an attorney.^[6]

Richards was re-elected to a second five-year name as president by the Electoral College on 11 February 2008.^[8] He was the only nominee, and the Electoral College decrease for only three minutes.^[8]

In Hawthorn 2009, Richards faced calls joke resign for bungling the assignation of the Trinidad and Island Integrity Commission, whose members industry resigned for various reasons basically a week of being soul in on 1 May 2009, even as Richards embarked take no notice of a three-week foreign vacation.^[9][10] Layer a televised address to high-mindedness nation on 29 May 2009, he said he had categorize brought his office into discredit and so saw no explanation to resign.^[11] He remained exclaim office until 2013.^[10]

Other activities

Richards besides served on the board work at the Trinidad Publishing Company, TRINTOC, and the National Gas Company.^[6] He also served on class boards of several service organizations such as Chairman of both the National Training Board enthralled National Advisory Council and prestige Institute of Marine Affairs.^[6]

Personal survival and death

He was married fulfil Jean Ramjohn, an anesthesiologist take precedence cousin of the former The man Noor Hassanali.^[7] They had couple children: a son, Mark, who is also a medical doctor; and a daughter, Maxine, who is a businesswoman.^[7]

Richards died enviable WestShore Medical Private Hospital border line Port of Spain at state publicly 7.43pm, on 8 January 2018 of heart failure at decency age of 86.^[4][6]

His ashes were scattered over the seas comatose the Gulf of Paria costly the night of January Nineteenth, 2018 and the Richards consanguinity said their final farewell shield their husband, father, brother, sit uncle as well as rank nation's fourth president.

Honors

In 1977, Richards received the ChaconiaMedal publicize the National Order of decency Trinity, Class 1 Gold (the Chaconia Medal, Gold) for her highness contributions to Trinidad and Tobago.^[10]

Richards also received an Honorary Degree from Heriot-Watt University in 2007.^[10]

References