Sir Arthur Alexander Foulkes, ON, GCMG (born 11 May 1928)[1] is a politician who was the ninth governor-general of the Bahamas from 2010 to 2014.[2]
Sir Arthur Foulkes | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Foulkes, c. 2000 | |
| 9th Governor-General of the Bahamas | |
| In office 14 April 2010 – 7 July 2014 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Prime Minister | Hubert Ingraham Perry Christie |
| Preceded by | A.D. Hanna |
| Succeeded by | Dame Marguerite Pindling |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Arthur Alexander Foulkes 11 May 1928 Matthew Town, Inagua, The Bahamas |
| Political party | Progressive Liberal Party (before 1971) Free National Movement (1971–present) |
| Spouse | Joan Eleanor Foulkes |
Foulkes was elected to the House of Assembly in 1967 and served in the government of Lynden Pindling as Minister of Communications and Minister of Tourism.[3] In 1971, he was co-founder of the Free National Movement, and he was appointed to the Senate in 1972 and 1977 before returning to the House of Assembly in 1982.[3]
Early life
editFoulkes, a native of the Bahamas, was born on the island of Inagua in Matthew Town on 11 May 1928.[4] His parents were Dr. William and Mrs. Julie (née Maisonneuve) Foulkes.[4] Foulkes is married to the former Joan Eleanor Bullard of Nassau.[4]
Career
editNewspaper career
edit| Viceregal styles of Sir Arthur Foulkes (2010–2014) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | His Excellency |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
Foulkes started his working life as a newspaper linotype operator, first at the Nassau Guardian, then at the competing Tribune newspaper.[4] He became a reporter for Tribune's editor Sir Étienne Dupuch, rising to become News Editor of Tribune.[4] From 1962 to 1967, Foulkes was founding editor of Bahamian Times, the official paper of the Progressive Liberal Party, backing the campaign for majority rule, and later a columnist for Nassau Guardian and Tribune.[4]
Political career
editIn 1967, he was elected to Parliament and, the following year, appointed to serve in the Cabinet as Minister of Communications, then as Minister of Tourism.[3] He was one of the founders of the Free National Movement in 1971.[3] He was appointed to the Senate in 1972 and 1977, and re-elected to the House of Assembly in 1982.[3] In 1972, Foulkes was one of the four Opposition delegates to the Bahamas Independence Constitution Conference in London in 1972.[3]
In 1992, Foulkes became the Bahamas' High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, serving also as ambassador to France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the European Union,[4] before becoming the first Bahamian ambassador to China and Cuba in 1999.[3][4] Foulkes was sworn in as Governor-General of the Bahamas on 14 May 2010,[3] retiring on 7 July 2014.[2]
Honours and awards
editFoulkes was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) in 2001; he was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the same Order (GCMG) in 2011.[3] In 2018, he was invested with the Order of the Nation (ON) by the then Governor General Marguerite Pindling.[5]
References
edit- ^ Profile of Sir Arthur Foulkes
- ^ a b "Bahamas New Governor General Announced". The Bahamas Weekly. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Governor-General appointed to Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George
- ^ a b c d e f g h Governor General's Youth Awards: Our Patron Archived March 11, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Biographies of 2019 Bahamian Exchange Features - website of electronic publishing platform issuu