Sir Rodney Errey Lawrence Williams, (born 2 November 1947) is an

Antigua Antigua ( ; ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the local population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the most populous island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua ...

n former politician who is the current and 4th

Governor-General of Antigua and Barbuda The governor-general of Antigua and Barbuda is the representative of the monarch of Antigua and Barbuda, currently Charles III. The governor-general is nominated by the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, prime minister, and appointed by th ...

, having previously served as Minister for Education, Culture and Technology and as a Member of Parliament until 2004.

Early life

Rodney is the son of Ernest Emmanuel Williams, the former

Antigua Labour Party The Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. The current leader of the party is Gaston Browne, who serves as the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda. The party had previously been led by Lester Bi ...

(ALP) parliamentary representative for the St Paul constituency and Irene B. Williams, a professional educator in Antigua and Barbuda.

Education

Williams attended the Antigua Grammar School in St. John's, upon graduating he taught at his alma mater for a year. He then studied medicine at the

University of the West Indies, Mona A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...

, where he received his

MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

degree in Medicine and Surgery in 1976. From 1978, after completing his Internship at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

, he pursued his private medical practice in Antigua & Barbuda.

Early career

Rodney entered politics in 1984 as the Member of Parliament for the St Paul constituency, which had been previously represented by his father. Between 1992 and 2004, he served in the cabinet as a minister, holding variously or jointly the portfolios of education, culture, technology, economic development, tourism, and environment. He represented St Paul up to 2004 when he lost his seat in the 2004 general election, when his Antigua Labour Party lost to the

United Progressive Party The United Progressive Party is a political party in Antigua and Barbuda. It was previously led by Baldwin Spencer, it was the governing party from 2004 to 2014. It has been in opposition since the 2014 election. Jamale Pringle was elected lea ...

Minister of Education, Culture and Technology

After the

's victory at the 1994 General Elections, Prime Minister

Lester Bird Sir Lester Bryant Bird (21 February 1938 – 9 August 2021) was an Antiguan politician and athlete who served as the second prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda from 1994 to 2004. He was chairman of the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) from 1971 to ...

appointed Williams as Minister of Education, Culture and Technology. He would retain this post until the end of his political career in 2004. William's most controversial decision while being Minister of Education was his decision to introduce to

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

the Board of Education Act, which introduced the Education Levy. The role of this statutory body was to provide finances for the stationery and physical supplies needed by public schools across the country. When the Bill was first tabled in the House of Representatives opposition forces marched in the high streets of St. John's, the capital city.

Governor-General

Rodney was sworn into office on 14 August 2014 as the 4th Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda.

Honours and awards

On 30 August 2014, Williams was appointed a

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George III ...

(GCMG) by Queen

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...

in the

2014 Special Honours As part of the British honours system, the Special Honours are issued at the Queen's pleasure at any given time. The Special Honours refer to the awards of the Order of the Garter, Order of the Thistle, Order of Merit, Royal Victorian Order and th ...

. In November 2014, he received the Gold Benemerenti Medal of the Sacred Military Constantinian Order of St. George and was invested as a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Francis I by

Prince Carlo, Duke of Castro Prince Carlo of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Castro (born 24 February 1963) is one of two claimants to the headship of the House of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. Early life Prince Carlo was born in Saint-Raphaël, Var, France, the only son of Prin ...

. On 22 December 2014, Williams was made a Knight of the Order of Saint John (KStJ), also in the

. In May 2019, Williams was awarded an honorary PhD degree from

St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) is a Public college, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, Maryland.Maryland State Archives, Online Manual, "St. Mary's College Of Maryland: Origin & Fun ...

. In January 2021, he received an honorary

DSc DSC or Dsc may refer to: Education * Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) * District Selection Committee, an entrance exam in India * Doctor of Surgical Chiropody, superseded in the 1960s by Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Educational institutions * Dyal Sin ...

degree from the

University of the West Indies The University of the West Indies (UWI), originally University College of the West Indies, is a public university system established to serve the higher education needs of the residents of 18 English-speaking countries and territories in t ...

. In November 2024, during his visit to India, he was presented with two distinguished honors. At the 25th International Conference of Chief Justices, Heads of States, and Heads of Governments, which took place in Lucknow from November 20 to 24, 2024, he received the Mahatma Gandhi Award for his unwavering dedication to global unity and peace. Additionally, he received recognition for his noteworthy contributions to humanitarian work and education.

Antigua.news Antigua.news (a.k.a. Antigua News or Antigua and Barbuda News) is a digital news and opinion portal founded in 2022 by Ambassador Dario Item as the official news channel of the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in Madrid, focused on delivering cove ...

References

External links

Official Government Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Williams, Rodney Governors-general of Antigua and Barbuda 1947 births Living people Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George Recipients of the Order of the Nation (Antigua and Barbuda) People from Saint Paul Parish, Antigua