born Sept. 25, 1911, Port of Spain, Trin.
died March 29, 1981, St. Anne, near Port of Spain
First prime minister of independent Trinidad and Tobago (196281).
He received a doctorate from the University of Oxford and served on the faculty of Howard University in the U.S. before founding the People's National Movement (PNM) in 1956 and taking his nation into the Federation of the West Indies in 1958 only to withdraw in favour of independence in 1962. Oil reserves helped boost the nation's income, and Williams remained popular until 1970, when an economic downturn led to unsuccessful revolts. He served as prime minister until his death. Capitalism and Slavery (1944) and From Columbus to Castro: The History of the Caribbean, 14921969 (1970) were among his many books.