George Maxwell Richards

Person in the News: George Maxwell Richards

 

George Maxwell Richards, who was sworn in as President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago on March 17, 2008 for a second term, was born in 1931 in the southern town of San Fernando.

 

A Professor Emeritus in Chemical Engineering, he was also a principal of the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI).

 

Richards, 76, who once described himself as a "red nigger", is the first head of state who is not an attorney at law.

 

Although the position of President is largely ceremonial, Richards has vowed to serve diligently.

 

"I commit myself to impartiality, independence, even-handedness and objectivity in the fulfilment of my duties," he said during his historic swearing in ceremony Monday that was open to the general public and attended by the Governor General of Jamaica, Professor Kenneth Hall, a UWI colleague.

 

An outspoken person who has not hidden his desire for the children of Trinidad and Tobago to play a meaningful role in the socio-economic development of the oil rich republic, Richards said his decision to have a public ceremony was guided by the need for the future generation to be "part of the tradition of institutions that we have built over the years".

 

In 1977, he was awarded the Chaconia Medal of the Order of the Trinity - Class1 (Gold) for Public Service.

 

Max Richards, as he is commonly called here, grew up in San Fernando where he received his primary education, before winning a scholarship to attend Queen's Royal College (QRC) in Port of Spain.

 

Upon the completion of his secondary schooling he worked briefly for the United British Oilfields of Trinidad, the precursor to Shell Trinidad Ltd., from 1950-51.

 

In 1951 he was awarded a scholarship by his employers to study chemical engineering and attended the University of Manchester, where he graduated with a Bachelor's Degree and then pursued his Master's Degree at the same institution in Britain.

 

Richards obtained his doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge (Pembroke) and on his return to Trinidad, Richards for Shell Trinidad Ltd. before joining the Department of Chemical Engineering at UWI.

 

He served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Principal of the university from 1980-1985 and in 1988 became its principal overseeing a very turbulent period  and helping to keep the regional institution afloat  following a major increase in tuition fees and a reduction in the government's subsidy. . He retired in 1996.

 

Richards has also served on the board of a number of local companies, including the Trinidad Publishing Company, TRINTOC, and the National Gas Company, the National Training Board, the National Advisory Council and the Institute of Marine Affairs.

 

He is also a member of several professional societies, including the Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago, the Institute of Chemical Engineers (London), the Institute of Petroleum (London); the Royal Society of Chemistry (London).

 

An avid carnival lover, Richards is married to Dr. Jean Ramjohn. They have two children.

 

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