Roland Symonette
Sir Roland Theodore Symonette (born December 16, 1898 in Eleuthera , † March 13, 1980 in Nassau ) was Prime Minister of the Bahamas .
Roland Symonette was born in 1898 as one of several children of the Methodist pastor Edwin Symonette and his wife Lavania. Although Symonette only went to school for six years, he became one of the richest people in the archipelago of his time. He was a teacher early on, but smuggled alcohol into the United States during the Prohibition Period. He invested the profits in real estate, alcohol sales outlets and finally a shipyard.
In 1925 he successfully stood for election as a member of parliament. Symonette remained in Parliament (without interruption) until 1977. From 1955 to 1964 he was the head of state of the Bahamas. When the Bahamas received their internal independence from Great Britain in 1964 , he became their first Prime Minister. In 1959 he was beaten by Queen Elizabeth II to the Knight Bachelor ("Sir").
Symonette was married three times and had six children. It is depicted on the Bahamas' 50 dollar bill.
credentials
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Symonette, Roland |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Symonette, Roland Theodore (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Bahamian politician, prime minister |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 16, 1898 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Eleuthera |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 13, 1980 |
| Place of death | Nassau |