CURRICULUM VITAE
Arthur Alexander Foulkes KCMG
BIRTH: 11 May 1928, Mathew Town, Inagua, Bahamas
EDUCATION: Public Schools, Mathew Town, Inagua, and Nassau
Tutored in Journalism by the late Sir Etienne Dupuch,
Editor of The Tribune
BUSINESS/PROFESSIONAL:
1945 Linotype Operator, Proof-reader, The Nassau Guardian
1948 Linotype Operator, Reporter, News Editor, The Tribune
1963 Founder/Editor, Bahamian Times (official organ of the
Progressive Liberal Party)
1967 Founder/Chairman Diversified Services (public relations)
1971-1992 Public Relations Director, Free National Movement
Managing Editor, Bahamas Handbook (two years)
Columnist, The Tribune and The Nassau Guardian
2002-2007 Columnist, The Tribune
2007- Director General, Bahamas Information Services
POLITICAL/DIPLOMATIC
1959 Co-Founder, National Committee for Positive Action (PLP
think tank and activist group)
1962 Unsuccessful candidate for Parliament (PLP)
1965 Drafted Opposition Petition to United Nations
Committee of Twenty-four (Decolonization);
Member of delegation to UN Committee of
Twenty-four
1967 Elected to Parliament (PLP) in first black majority
Government
Appointed Chairman of Bahamas Telecommunications
Corporation
1968 Re-elected to Parliament
Appointed Minister of Communications
1969 Appointed Minister of Tourism
1971 One of Dissident Eight and Co-founder, Free National
Movement
1972 Appointed to the Senate
Drafted Opposition’s Memorandum for Independence
Constitution Conference, London; Member of delegation to
the Conference
1977 Re-appointed to the Senate
Spearheaded (with late Bazel Nicholls) re-unification of
splintered opposition
1982 Re-elected to Parliament (FNM)
1992-1999 High Commissioner to UK and Ambassador to France,
Germany, Italy, Belgium and the European Union
Permanent Representative to the International Maritime
Organization
Representative to the Commonwealth and the African
Caribbean Pacific Group
Doyen, Caribbean Diplomatic Corps, UK
Co-Founder, Friends of The Bahamas, UK
Member of Bahamas delegation to inauguration of new
South Africa Government, 1994
1999-2002 First Bahamas Ambassador (non-resident) to People’s
Republic of China
Ambassador (non-resident) to Republic of Cuba
Chairman, Bahamas Broadcasting Corporation
Co-Chairman, Parliamentary Review Commission
Co-Chairman, Bahamas Order of Merit Awards Committee
Appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St. Michael
and St. George (2001)
Co-Founder, Bahamas China Friendship Association (2005)
1967-2002 Delegate to numerous international conferences including
Caribbean Community, Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association, Commonwealth Heads, UNESCO, IMO and
Joint African Caribbean Pacific/European Union
2007- Deputy to Governor General
INTERESTS: Literature, music, theatre, art, ecology
FAMILY: Married Joan Eleanor nee Bullard. Father of seven sons,
four daughters
RELIGION: Roman Catholic
1