Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands (1915–1997)
The Honourable
Willard Wheatley
Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands
In office 2 June 1971 – 12 November 1979
Monarch
Elizabeth II
Governor
Derek George Cudmore Walter Wilkinson Wallace James Alfred Davidson
Preceded by
Lavity Stoutt
Succeeded by
Lavity Stoutt
Personal details
Born
(1915-07-16)16 July 1915 Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Died
22 January 1997(1997-01-22) (aged 81) Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Political party
VI Democratic Party United Party
Willard Wheatley MBE (16 July 1915 – 22 January 1997) was a British Virgin Islands educator and politician who served two consecutive terms as the Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands from 1971 to 1979. He was the second ever Chief Minister of the Territory, and the first ever minister of finance. He served as Chief Minister at the head of two different coalition governments: one as de facto leader of the United Party, and the other the VI Democratic Party.
At an event to commemorate what would have been the 100th birthday of Wheatley, then Premier Orlando Smith made a commitment to provide public funds to memorialise his achievements and for a book about his life to be published.[1]
His grandson Natalio Wheatley became Premier of the British Virgin Islands in May 2022.
^"Late leader saluted amid plans to record his legacy". BVI News. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
WillardWheatley MBE (16 July 1915 – 22 January 1997) was a British Virgin Islands educator and politician who served two consecutive terms as the Chief...
Minister, WillardWheatley. He has at times expressed a preference to be referred to by his adopted African name, Sowande Uhuru. Wheatley is from one...
(he won five), followed by Orlando Smith (three). Stoutt, Smith and WillardWheatley are the only leaders to have served two consecutive full terms (Ralph...
School Isabella Morris Primary School Ebenezer Thomas Primary School WillardWheatley Primary School St. Georges Primary School Cedar International School...
The Virgin Islands Party led by Stoutt lost to coalitions led by WillardWheatley in the 1971 and 1975 general elections but triumphed in the 1979 general...
Smith Orlando Smith, OBE H. Lavity Stoutt WillardWheatley Julian Willock Richard Georges Jennie Wheatley J'maal Alexander Matthew Arneborg Dorian Auguiste...
but is officially recorded as a victory for the United Party led by WillardWheatley over the opposition Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief...
Territory to win three general elections as party leader. He passed WillardWheatley as the third longest serving head of Government in British Virgin Islands...
of the VI Democratic Party (DP) together with independent candidate WillardWheatley over the newly formed Virgin Islands Party (VIP) led by former Chief...
Democratic Party, which won the 1971 general election (together with WillardWheatley (Ind)). Contested each general election from 1967 to 1979 except for...
by WillardWheatley In office 12 November 1979 – 11 November 1983 Governor James Alfred Davidson, David Robert Barwick Preceded by WillardWheatley Succeeded...
Chief ministers Hamilton Lavity Stoutt, Chief minister (1967–1971) WillardWheatley, Chief minister (1971–1979) Hamilton Lavity Stoutt, Chief minister...
Minister Lavity Stoutt over the incumbent United Party (UP) led by WillardWheatley. The newly formed Virgin Islands National Movement (VINM), led by Elvin...
candidate WillardWheatley, with Wheatley acting as Chief Minister. However, disagreements arose between Wheatley and Osborne, and Wheatley ended up removing...
VI Democratic Party Won the 1971 general election (together with WillardWheatley (Ind)). Contested each general election from 1967 to 1979 except for...
government, he formed a coalition with independent candidate WillardWheatley. However, Wheatley required that he be made Chief Minister, and Osborne agreed...
Chief Minister of a coalition government with the United Party led by WillardWheatley. During Romney's term as Chief Minister the International Business...
Maduro lost his seat. However, as the party formed a coalition with WillardWheatley, the incumbent Chief Minister, it is highly unlikely Maduro would have...
School Ebenezer Thomas Primary School Jost Van Dyke Primary School WillardWheatley Primary School Pre-primary schools Enid Scatliffe Pre-Primary School...
female Minister for Government in the Territory. Former Chief Minister, WillardWheatley ran as an independent in at the at-large seats and was resoundingly...
Progressive People's Democratic Party (PPDP) led by former Chief Minister WillardWheatley (which fielded five candidates), and the newly formed Independent People's...
election. Subsequently left and re-joined the VI Democratic Party. WillardWheatley Former Chief Minister. Won the 1971 general election in a coalition...
Party. The defeat of Q.W. Osborne was the end of his political career. WillardWheatley also suffered the first defeat of his political career, but would continue...
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