T&T celebrated 40 years as a Republic yesterday.
T&T became a Republic on August 1, 1976, and this was due to the concerted efforts of Dr Eric Williams and the then government in office. The event is celebrated as a public holiday on September 24, because this is the date when the first Parliament met under the new Republican Constitution. It meant that from that date in 1976, T&T no longer owed allegiance to the Queen of England but would have its own Head of State, the President of the Republic.
When T&T became a Republic Sir Ellis Clarke served as the nation's first president, followed by Noor Hassanali, Arthur N R Robinson, George Maxwell Richards and currently, Anthony Carmona.
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.
Throughout our history many have served and contributed to the development of T&T...heroes, pioneers, and role models in various spheres of endeavour.Here are some of our noted heroes, pioneers and role models:
THE EARLY DAYS: PHILIPPE-ROSE ROUME DE ST. LAURENT (1743-1805); GROS JEAN (mid to late 1700's); J.M.BATH (1783-1838); J.J.THOMAS (1841-1889); E.M.LAZARE (1864-1929);
COLONIAL GOVERNORS: A.DE BERRIO (1520-1597); J.M.CHACON (1749-1833); R.J.WOODFORD (1784-1828); LORD HARRIS (GEORGE F. R. HARRIS) (1810-1872); A.H.GORDON (1829-1912); W.ROBINSON (1836-1912); E.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- ); ANTHONY T. A. CARMONA(1953- )
AGRICULTURE: N.AHAMAD(1932- ); S.BENNETT(1922-2011); F.COPE(1913 -2004; J.DUNCAN (1933- ); W.FREEMAN (1909-1988); F.HARDY (1889-1977); G.MOONSAMMY (1922- 1986)
BUSINESS: G.ALSTON(1854-1918); E.BATTOO(1904-1980); J.M.BERMUDEZ; K.BOOS; E.CANNING; J.CHARLES(1910-1965); M&R.DAVIS; S.TEELUCKSINGH(1889-1952); G.MEAH(1848-1940); T.ROODAL(1884-1952); Y.DE LIMA(1861-1927); C.DUPREY(1897-1988); W.GORDON(1848-1923) and G.GRANT(1866-1934); C.HONG WING(About 1870-1929); G.F.HUGGINS(1870-1941); S.M.JALEEL(1895-1977); IBRAHIM KHAN; I.M.KHAN (1907-1980); K.K.MAHARAJ(1920- 2009); C.MASSY(1897-1968) and H.NEAL(1875-1963); C.McENEARNEY; RAHAMUT(1866-1941); B.H.ROSE(1881-1953); A.Y.SABGA(1898-1985)
COMMUNITY, SOCIAL WORK, & VOLUNTEERISM: J.A.ALVES(1883-1969); J.A.A.BIGGART(1877-1932); LADY T.HOCHOY(1910-2010); A.JEFFERS(1896-1968); C.LEWIS(1919-1974); R.MAINGOT(1946- ); D.PANDIT(1900-1958); C.PANTIN (1933- ); FR.G.PANTIN(1928-2014); B.E.MARESSE-PAUL(1838-1900)
CULTURE & THE ARTS: AUBREY ADAMS(1919-2007); M.P.ALLADIN(1919-1980); "ATILLA THE HUN" QUEVEDO(1892-1962); S.M.MOHAMMED(1905-1963); G.BAILEY(1935-1970); L.BELASCO(1881-1967); W.BERKELY(1940-2011); P.BISHOP(1941-2011); H.BORDE(1933- ); P.S. CASTAGNE (1916-2000); PAUL CASTILLO; M.J.CAZABON(1813 �1888); C.CHANG(1921- 2001); R.CHARLES(1938-1985); CHAMPA DEVI/FATIMA RAHIM (1923-2001); W.DEVINE (1943- ); T.DUMBELL(1924- ); SEL DUNCAN (1924-1983); F.EDINBOROUGH (1943- ); J.EDWARDS (1933- ); J.D. ELDER(1913-2003); E.HART (1923- ) and L.HART (1930-1991); B.HOLDER (1921-2007); F.KISSOON(1933- ); A.ROBERTS (LORD KITCHENER)(1922-2000); HARBANCE KUMAR; B.MARSHALL (1936- ); B.MCBURNIE (1914-2000); I.MCWILLIAMS (1920-2007); P.MINSHALL (1941- ); KEN MORRIS (1924-1992); M.PADMORE (1928-1981); S.POPO (1943-2000); CALYPSO ROSE (1940- ); "SALLY" SALDENHA (1925-1985)
ECONOMICS: L.BEST (1934-2007); W.G.DEMAS (1929-1998); A.LEWIS (1915-1991)
EDUCATION: C.ABIDH (1884-1952); A.H. ANSTEY (1872-1955); B. BRERETON (1946- ); K.A. BUTLER (1931- ); J.O. CUTTERIDGE (1887-1952); S.DEEN (1947- ); R.DOUGLASS (1927-2012); FR. L.J. GRAF (1884-1970); R.GUPPY (1836-1916); P.KEENAN; FR. A.LAI FOOK (1919-2013) P.LUCIE-SMITH (1960- ); M.MURPHY (1902-1973); ARCHBISHOP F.RYAN (1881-1975)
ENVIRONMENT: P.BACON (1938-2003); J.BULBROOK (1881-1967); T.CAMBRIDGE (1906-1967); M.GASKIN; W.INGRAM (1847-1924); J.KENNY (1930- 2011)
FASHION & BEAUTY: J.COMMISSIONG (1953- ); W.FITZWILLIAM (1972- ); J.LARONDE-WEST (1963- )
LAW: F.E.M.HOSEIN (1882-1936); J.PERMANAND; L.O'REILLY (1880-1949); C.WILLIAMS WARNER (1807-1887); H.WOODING (1904-1974)
MEDICINE: B.ACHONG (1928-1996); C.BARTHOLOMEW (1931- ); M.BEAUBRUN (1924-2002); A.CIPRIANI (1908-1956); L.DE VERTEUIL (1807-1900); S.E.ELLIOT (1901-1969); S.F. GHOURALAL (1925-1991); B.HULL (1939- ); W.INCE (1930- ); A.LEOTAUD (1814-1867); A.MCSHINE (1876-1948); H.MCSHINE (1912-2006); J.L.PAWAN (1887-1957); H.PIERRE (1904-1984); T.POON-KING (1928- )
OIL: A.BEEBY-THOMPSON; W.DARWENT (1821-1868); G.R. GILKES (1863-1914); H.G. KUGLER (1893-1986); J.LEE LUM (1842-1921); R.T.H. RUST (1854-1930)
POLITICS: R.CAPILDEO (1920-1970); M.DAAGA (1935-2016 ); A.GOMES (1911-1978); A.P.T. JAMES (1901-1962); B.S.MARAJ (1920-1971); M.McDAVIDSON (1929-2001); K.MOHAMMED (1927-2015 ); M.M.PHILIP (1829-1888); K.HUDSON-PHILLIPS (1933- )
PUBLIC SERVICE: J.BRIERLY (1835-1915); R.BURROUGHS (1930-1996); E.W. CARRINGTON (1939- ); W.DE BOISSI�RE (1872-1947); K.DOWLAND; GENE MILES (1930-1972); J.PHILLIPS (1925-1986)
RADIO & TELEVISION: H.BETAUDIER (1925- ); 'HANS' HANOOMANSINGH (1942- ); A.HENNESSY (1948-2011); R.KNOWLES (1915-1975); P.MATHURA (1923-2007); S.MOHAMMED (1936-1994); H.WARD (1933- )
RELIGION: A.ALI (1898-1973); S.AZIZ (1862-1927); PUNDIT CAPILDEO (1871-1926); T.DE BARCELONA; K.GRANT (1839-1931); E.GRIFFITH (1913-1992); M.IBRAHIM (1890-1956); C.D. LALLA (1880-1958); H.MACLEOD; R.MEAH (1865-1963); B.S.MARAJ (1920-1971); J.MORTON (1839-1912); S.MORTON (1843-1929); J.G. MULHAUSER (1810-1844)
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY: H.BRINSLEY (1873-1952); G.BROWN (1852-N/A); A.CHAN TACK (1944- ); M.CIPRIANI (1890-1934); A.CROPPER (1961- ); W.ECCLES; A.W. GRAY; M.IMBERT (1929- ); R.KUMAR (1912-1986); C.LAIRD (1924- ); J.MAISONNEUVE; F.MALLETT; D.OGDEN; P.REINAGLE
SPORTS: M.AGOSTINI (1935- 2016); 'PA' ALEONG (1902-1980); S.AMES (1964- ); R.APOLLON (1924- 1997); M.BAILEY (1921-2013); A.J. BOLDON (1973- ); G.BOVELL III (1983- ); A.CHARLES (1916-1973); H.A. CLARKE (1910-1999); L.N.CONSTANTINE (1901-1971); H.CRAWFORD (1950- ); M.DOOKIE (1915-1968); C.FORDE (1935 -2011); R.GIBBON (1944- ); HAROLD (1963-2016 ) and K.LA BORDE; B.C. LARA (1969- ); L.LEWIS (1924-2009); C.NOEL (1949- ); C.PATRICK (1904-N/A); J.PIERRE (1944-2002); S.RAMADHIN (1929- )
TRADE UNIONISM: T.U."BUZZ" BUTLER (1897-1977); A.ACIPRIANI (1875-1945); D.CRICK (1898-1979); E.FRANCOIS (1897-1944); A.C.RIENZI (1905-1972); C.WALCOTT (1925-2007); G.WEEKES (1921-1995)
WRITING & JOURNALISM: M.ANTHONY (1930- ); M.BARCANT; G.BESSON(1942- ); R.FFRENCH(1929-2010);FR. A.DE VERTEUIL (1932- ); C.L.R.JAMES (1901- 1989); O.MAVROGORDATO (1903-1993); T.MILLS (1931-2014); V.S.NAIPAUL (1932- ); S.SELVON (1923-1994); K.SMITH (1946-2011); D.WALCOTT (1930- ).
Profiles of those listed can be obtained from the free e-book download at http://www.safaripublications.com/firstcitizenstt/heroesprofilestt/.