Kennedy Simmonds Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Right Excellent
Sir Kennedy Simmonds
Honorific-Suffix:KCMG
Order:1st
Office:Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Governor-General:Clement Arrindell
Deputy:Michael Oliver Powell
Sydney Earl Morris
Hugh Heyliger
Term Start:19 September 1983
Term End:7 July 1995
Predecessor:Office Established
(Himself as Premier)
Successor:Denzil Douglas
Office1:4th Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Monarch1:Elizabeth II
Governor1:Probyn Inniss
Clement Arrindell
Deputy1:Michael Oliver Powell
Term Start1:21 February 1980
Term End1:19 September 1983
Predecessor1:Lee Moore
Successor1:Office Abolished
(Himself as Prime Minister)
Office2:Minister of Finance of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Term Start2:1984
Term End2:July 1995
Predecessor2:Richard Llewellyn Caines
Successor2:Denzil Douglas
Birth Name:Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds
Birth Date:12 April 1936
Birth Place:Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Party:People's Action Movement
Education:University of the West Indies

Sir Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds, KCMG (born 12 April 1936), is a Saint Kittitian and Nevisian politician who served as the first prime minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis from 1983 to 1995.

Life and career

Simmonds was born in Basseterre on 12 April 1936. He graduated as a physician from the University of the West Indies in 1962.[1] He married Mary Matthew, and they had five children.[2]

Simmonds was a founding member of the People's Action Movement (PAM) party. He was the Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis from 21 February 1980,[3] until the twin-island state gained independence from the United Kingdom on 19 September 1983. Upon independence, he became the 1st Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis and as such has been hailed as "The Father of the Nation."

Simmonds and his party ruled with the support of Nevis Reformation Party.[4] He had three deputy prime ministers: Michael Oliver Powell 1980-1992, Sydney Earl Morris[5] 1992-1994 and Hugh Heyliger 1994-1995.

Honours

In 2004, Simmonds was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George.[6] In 2015, Simmonds became the fifth person to be named as a National Hero by the National Assembly. He is the first living person to receive this honour.[7] In 2021, Simmonds received an honorary DSc from the University of the West Indies.[8]

Simmonds published an autobiography in 2019 entitled The Making of a National Hero.[9]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2016-08-04. St Kitts-Nevis' National Hero Award For UWI Alumnus Sir Kennedy Simmonds. 2021-01-19. sta.uwi.edu.
  2. Web site: Dr. Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds grandfather of keiyon simmonds.. 2021-11-27. www.sknvibes.com.
  3. Book: Cameron, Sarah. Caribbean Islands. 2004. Footprint. Bath, England. 978-1-903471-71-5. 15th. 24 January 2011. 548.
  4. Book: Ameringer . Charles D. . Political Parties of the Americas, 1980s to 1990s: Canada, Latin America, and the West Indies . Greenwood Publishing Group . en . 1992. 9780313274183 .
  5. Web site: Former Deputy Prime Minister of St. Kitts-Nevis Sydney Morris Has Died .
  6. Web site: 2004-10-22. Honours and Awards. 2021-01-19. www.thegazette.co.uk.
  7. Web site: 2015-09-19. Sir Kennedy Simmonds Named 5th National Hero. 2021-01-19. ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation. en-CA.
  8. Web site: 2021-01-15. Sir Kennedy Expressed Gratitude For Honorary Degree From UWI Open Campus. 2021-01-19. ZIZ Broadcasting Corporation. en-CA.
  9. Web site: 2019-11-21. Sir Kennedy Simmonds Releases His Autobiography. 2021-11-27. en-US.