Richard Luyt
Sir Richard Luyt | |
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1st Governor General of Guyana | |
In office 26 May 1966 – 16 December 1966 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister | Forbes Burnham |
Preceded by | Office established |
Succeeded by | David Rose |
Governor of British Guiana | |
In office 7 March 1964 – 26 May 1966 | |
Monarch | Elizabeth II |
Prime Minister | Forbes Burnham |
Preceded by | Sir Ralph Grey |
Succeeded by | himself as Governor-General of Guyana |
Vice-Chancellor of University of Cape Town | |
In office 1967–1980 | |
Chancellor | Harry Oppenheimer |
Preceded by | Jacobus Duminy |
Succeeded by | Stuart J Saunders |
Personal details | |
Born | Cape Town, Union of South Africa | 8 November 1915
Died | 12 February 1994 Cape Town, South Africa | (aged 78)
Alma mater | Trinity College, Oxford |
Sir Richard Edmonds Luyt GCMG KCVO DCM (8 November 1915 – 12 February 1994) was the colonial Governor of British Guiana in 1964–66. He installed Forbes Burnham of the People's National Congress (PNC) as premier of a coalition government with a small business-oriented conservative party in 1964; however, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) came first in the election. Deadly riots ensued when the PPP was not allowed to form the government. Upon independence in May 1966, Sir Richard was sworn in as Governor-General of Guyana, a position which he held until December the same year.
Having been born and educated in Cape Town, he returned there in 1967 as principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, a post which he held until 1980. Because of his actions in British Guiana, his appointment was initially opposed by the student body but he soon won them over. During this period, at the height of the apartheid years in South Africa, academic freedom was under threat and Sir Richard was in the forefront of South African vice-chancellors who fought to protect these freedoms. He also vigorously objected against banning orders and detention without trial of students and staff who protested against apartheid.
Sir Richard was an excellent cricketer and rugby player. He obtained a Rugby Blue at the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar and played in three first-class cricket matches for Oxford University Cricket Club.[1]
During World War II Sir Richard fought against the Italians in Ethiopia and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.
References
[edit]- ^ "Player Profile: Dick Luyt". www.cricketarchive.com. Retrieved 22 March 2013.
- LUYT, Sir Richard (Edmonds), Who Was Who, A & C Black, 1920–2016 (online edition, Oxford University Press, 2014)
- "Sir Richard Luyt". The Times. London. 15 February 1994. p. 21.
External links
[edit]Richard Edmonds Luyt at ESPNcricinfo
- 1915 births
- 1994 deaths
- Military personnel from Cape Town
- Governors of British Guiana
- Governors-General of Guyana
- South African Rhodes Scholars
- Academic staff of the University of Cape Town
- South African Knights Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George
- Knights Commander of the Royal Victorian Order
- Recipients of the Distinguished Conduct Medal
- Oxford University cricketers
- Alumni of Trinity College, Oxford
- Chief Secretaries of Northern Rhodesia
- Members of the Legislative Council of Northern Rhodesia
- Vice-chancellors of the University of Cape Town
- British military personnel of World War II
- Guyanese people stubs
- South American politician stubs