George Cadle Price

George Cadle Price, PC, OCC (15 January 1919 – 19 September 2011), was a Belizean politician and statesman. He served twice as the head of government and Prime Minister of Belize from 7 April 1961– 17 December 1984 and 7 September 1989– 3 July 1993. He was First Minister of British Honduras from 7 April 1961 to 1 January 1964, then he was Premier of British Honduras from 1 January 1964 to 1 June 1973. Then he was Premier of Belize from 1 June 1973 to 12 September 1981 under British and United Kingdom rule until independence on 12 September 1981. He was the nation’s and country’s first Prime minister after and upon independence that year.

He is considered to have been one of the main people in Belizean independence. Today he has been called by many "the Father of the Belizean Nation". Price effectively dominated Belizean Politics from 7 April 1961 until his retirement from party leadership as Leader of the People’s United Party on 10 November 1996. He was the Head of government under various titles for most or during that period.

He entered Belizean Politics in 1947 when Belize was still called British Honduras. He was elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Independent Party. He won the nomination as an Independent Representative for Belize City unopposed, 5 months before the election. He stood as an Independent Candidate in the 1947 British Honduras general election and won his seat of Belize City constituency. The Independent Party, which was then led by John Smith, was the only Party that contested the election. It won all the nine seats in the British Honduras Legislative Assembly. Price was appointed as Chairman of the Belize City Council by John Smith. He hired workers to build houses and roads in Belize City as British Honduras was not developed yet. In 1949, He was appointed as Attorney General and Minister of Economic Development by John Smith. When the British Honduras dollar was devalued he, together with a group of citizens and nine of his political colleagues and friends such as John Smith, Deputy First Minister Leigh Richardson, Herbert Fuller and Herman Jex, formed the People’s Committee. That was the start of the “peaceful, constructive Belizean revolution". On 29 September 1950, he founded the People’s United Party. He led it for 40 years.

Early life and education

George Cadle Price was born in Belize City on 15 January 1919 in what was then British Honduras. His father was William Price, and his mother, Irene Escalante Price. He had eight sisters and two brothers.

Price received his early and Primary education at Holy Redeemer Primary School In Belize City which he attended from 1926 to 1931. He was awarded the “Most Contributive Student” and “Most Outstanding In English in the entire Primary 6 level on Recognition Day which was held on 5 November 1930. He received his Secondary education at St. John’s College High School. In 1931 he survived the hurricane which destroyed the school by swimming away from the wreckage. Under the Jesuits he was exposed to the teachings of Catholic Social justice, in particular the encyclical Rerum novarum. He graduated on 5 November 1935. Upon graduation he felt a call to priesthood, so he went to pursue his studies abroad on the advice of his parents and family. In 1936 he traveled to the United States and attended Saint Augustine’s Minor Seminary In Mississippi, United States and studied there until 1940. When he was studying there his family would often travel from British Honduras to Mississippi to see Price and check on him and how he was going along with his education. Price’s family would sometimes stay with him for a few days before going back to British Honduras.