George Cadle Price

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This article is about the Belizean Prime Minister. For other uses, see George Price (disambiguation).

The Right Honourable
George Cadle Price
Price in 1965
1st Prime Minister of Belize
In office
7 September 1989 – 13 July 1993
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor‑GeneralElmira Minita Gordon
DeputyFlorencio Marin
Preceded byManuel Esquivel
Succeeded byManuel Esquivel
In office
12 September 1981 – 17 December 1984
MonarchElizabeth II
Governor‑GeneralElmira Minita Gordon
DeputyFlorencio Marin
Preceded byHimself (as Prime Minister)
Succeeded byManuel Esquivel
Premier of Belize
In office
1 June 1973 – 12 September 1981
Preceded byHimself (as Prime Minister of British Honduras)
Succeeded byHimself (as Prime Minister)
Premier of British Honduras
In office
1 January 1964 – 1 June 1973
Preceded byHimself (as First Minister)
Succeeded byHimself (as Prime Minister of Belize)
First Minister of British Honduras
In office
7 April 1961 – 1 January 1964
Preceded byoffice created
Succeeded byHimself (as Prime Minister)
Leader of the Opposition
In office
3 July 1993 – 10 November 1996
MonarchElizabeth II
Governors GeneralElmira Minita Gordon
Colville Young
Prime MinisterManuel Esquivel
Preceded byManuel Esquivel
Succeeded bySaid Musa
Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Pickstock
In office
4 September 1989 – 5 March 2003
Preceded byJane Ellen Usher
Succeeded byGodfrey Smith
Member of the Belize House of Representatives for Freetown[1]
In office
26 March 1961 – 14 December 1984
Preceded by(constituency created)
Succeeded byDerek Aikman
Member of the British Honduras Legislative Assembly for Belize North
In office
28 April 1954 – 26 March 1961
Preceded by(constituency created)
Succeeded by(constituency abolished)
Personal details
Born(1919-01-15)15 January 1919
Belize City, British Honduras
(now Belize)
Died19 September 2011(2011-09-19) (aged 92)
Belize City, Belize
Political partyPeople's United Party

George Cadle Price (15 January 1919 – 19 September 2011) was a Belizean statesman who served as the head of government of Belize from 1961 to 1984 and 1989 to 1993. He was the first minister and premier under British rule until independence in 1981 and was the nation's first prime minister after independence that year. He is considered one of the principal architects of Belizean independence. Today he is referred to by many as the "Father of the Nation". Price effectively dominated Belizean politics from the early 1960s until his 1996 retirement from party leadership, having been the nation's head of government under various titles for most of that period.

He entered politics in 1947 with his election to the Belize City Council. In 1949, with the devaluation of the British Honduran dollar he, together with a group of citizens, formed the People's Committee. It was the start of the "peaceful, constructive Belizean revolution". On 29 September 1950, he co-founded the People's United Party, which he led for four decades and which was devoted to the political and economic independence of the British colony, then known as British Honduras.[2]

Early life and education

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George Price was born in Belize City in what was then British Honduras, to William and Irene Secilia (née Escalante) Price.[3] His father was an auctioneer and the family could trace their roots back to Scotland and also to the indigenous Maya peoples.[4] He was the third eldest child and had eight sisters and two brothers in total.[5]

Price received his early education at Holy Redeemer Primary School and St. John's College High School (SJC). He survived the hurricane of 1931 which destroyed SJC at Loyola Park, swimming away from the wreckage. Under the Jesuits, he was exposed to the teachings of Catholic social justice, in particular the encyclical Rerum novarum.[6] Upon graduation, the young Price felt a call to the priesthood, so he went to study abroad, first attending Saint Augustine's Minor Seminary in Mississippi, United States, and later the Mayor Seminario Conciliar in Guatemala City. Throughout his life Price remained a devout Roman Catholic and attended Mass daily.[7]

The war in Europe prevented him from completing his studies in Rome and, instead, George Price returned to Belize. He was hired by local businessman Robert Sidney Turton as his private secretary. Price also contributed to the Belize Billboard, then run by Philip Goldson.[citation needed]

Political career

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Price and a Peace Corps volunteer, 1976
Main article: People's United Party

After receiving encouragement from Turton, Price ran for election to the Belize City Council in 1944 and 1947, being successful in 1947.[8] Upon the formation of the People's Committee (PC) in 1950, Price was named its Assistant Secretary, and in a famous speech later that year claimed that "National Unity" propelled the PC's actions. With the formation of the PUP, Price's stature rose and he ascended through the party ranks until he became Party Leader following a leadership dispute in 1956.[citation needed]

Elected to the colony's newly created Legislative Assembly in 1954,[9] he also served as mayor of Belize City from 1956 to 1962. In 1956, Price became party leader of the PUP. As First Minister, a post he held since 1961, he led the team which began negotiations over independence with the United Kingdom. He maintained that post as Premier in 1964.

In 1981 Belize gained its independence, and Price served as the country's first prime minister and foreign minister until 1984. The PUP was defeated in the elections by the United Democratic Party under Manuel Esquivel, with Price unexpectedly losing his own House of Representatives seat to Derek Aikman, a political newcomer and the youngest candidate in the election.[10][11] Price continued to lead the PUP from outside the National Assembly while Florencio Marin became the Leader of the Opposition.[12] Price resumed the post of prime minister after successfully returning to the House in the 1989 election, serving until 1993, when he was again succeeded by Esquivel.[citation needed] In October 1996 he announced his resignation as party leader, and on 10 November 1996 was formally succeeded by Said Musa. Price remained a member of the Belize House until the 2003 election.

Honours

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In September 2000, Price became the first person to receive Belize's highest honour, the Order of the National Hero, for the prominent role he played in leading his country to independence.[13] In 2000 he also received the Order of the Caribbean Community.[14] In 2005 he was awarded Cuba's highest honour, the Order of José Martí by Cuban President Fidel Castro.[13] He also received honours from Honduras, Mexico and Venezuela.[15]

In 1982, he was made a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom.[2] In 2003 a street in Belmopan was named George Price Boulevard[16] and in 2012 the Western Highway was renamed the George Price Highway.[17][18] The George Price Centre for Peace and Development is named after Price. The Centre was officially inaugurated in September 2002 and opened to the public in January 2004.[19]

Since June 2025 an image of Price is featured on every $5, $20, and $100 Belize dollar banknote.[20][21] In 2006 to celebrate 25 years since independence the Belize Postal Service released a commemorative stamp featuring Price.[22]

In Belize, since 2021, the 15th of January is celebrated as a public holiday known as George Price Day.[23][24][25] National Service Day is celebrated every 19th of September to commemorate the anniversary of Price's death.[26][27]

In 2024 a 16-foot bronze statue of Price was unveiled in Battlefield Park in Belize City.[28][29][30][31]

Death and funeral

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On the 14 September 2011 Price fell at his home hitting his head on the floor which caused a blood clot on his brain. He was taken to hospital for emergency surgery and put into an induced coma.[32] Price died a few days later on the morning of 19 September 2011, at the age of 92.[33][16][13][34][35] Seven days of mourning was ordered[36] and on 26 September 2011, a state funeral was held.[15][37] Price was laid to rest at the Lord's Ridge Cemetery in Belize City.[38][39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ British Honduras Legislative Assembly before 1973
  2. ^ a b "Belizean Biographies". website. National Library Service of Belize. Archived from the original on 20 January 2010. Retrieved 28 December 2010.
  3. ^ Dalyell, Tam (3 October 2011). "George Price: Politician who guided Belize to a state of stable independence". The Independent. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
  4. ^ Riding, Alan (23 September 1981). "PILOT FOR A FREE BELIZE; Man in the News". New York Times. Retrieved 28 July 2025.
  5. ^ Craig, Meg; Musa, Yasser (2004). George Price: Journey of a Belizean Hero. Belize City, Belize: Factory Books. p. 5. ISBN 9768111852.
  6. ^ Woods, Charles M. Sr.; et al. (2015). Years of Grace: The History of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize: 1524-2014. Belize City: Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City-Belmopan. pp. 327 to 329.
  7. ^ Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price – a legend Archived 2018-11-18 at the Wayback Machine, Krem Radio, 24 September 2011. (accessed 9 October 2014)
  8. ^ Craig, Meg; Musa, Yasser (2004). George Price: Journey of a Belizean Hero. Belize City, Belize: Factory Books. p. 13. ISBN 9768111852.
  9. ^ General Elections 1954 Archived 2015-09-23 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 19 November 2014)
  10. ^ General Election 1984 Archived 2014-10-16 at the Wayback Machine, Belize Elections and Boundaries Commission. (accessed 9 October 2014)
  11. ^ Pitt, David (16 December 1984). "LONGTIME LEADER OF BELIZE OUSTED IN CRUSHING DEFEAT". New York Times. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  12. ^ The Right Honourable George Cadle Price, AmbergrisCaye.com. (accessed 9 October 2014)
  13. ^ a b c "Father of the Nation, George Cadle Price, passes". The San Pedro Sun. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  14. ^ https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/19623
  15. ^ a b "Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price laid to rest". The San Pedro Sun. 27 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  16. ^ a b Gunson, Phil (20 September 2011). "George Price obituary". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 May 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  17. ^ "Two highways renamed on Independence Day in honor of National Heroes". The San Pedro Sun. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 23 March 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  18. ^ Ramos, Adele (25 September 2012). "Belize marks 31, Belmopan 13". Amandala. Archived from the original on 28 November 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  19. ^ "George Price Centre opened in Belmopan". Great Belize Television. 26 September 2002. Archived from the original on 14 August 2020. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  20. ^ Duncan, Natricia; Novelo, Hipolito (24 January 2025). "Belize removes Queen Elizabeth's image on banknotes as 'step in decolonisation'". The Guardian. Belize City. Archived from the original on 7 March 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  21. ^ "Belize Set to Roll Out Redesigned Banknotes with Advanced Security Features". The San Pedro Sun. 17 May 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  22. ^ https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=4968
  23. ^ "George Price Day, January 15". Amandala. 9 January 2021. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  24. ^ "George Price Day observed in Belize; exhibit in his honor launched in Orange Walk". The San Pedro Sun. 17 January 2024. Archived from the original on 25 April 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  25. ^ "Celebrating the legacy and leadership of George Price". The San Pedro Sun. 15 January 2025. Archived from the original on 18 February 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  26. ^ "National Service Day observed in San Pedro". The San Pedro Sun. 19 September 2023. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  27. ^ https://lovefm.com/national-service-day-celebrated-in-honor-of-george-prices-legacy/
  28. ^ Gladden, Charles (22 September 2024). "George Price Statue unveiled at Battlefield Park". Amandala. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  29. ^ https://lovefm.com/bronze-statue-unveiled-to-honor-george-price-in-belize-citys-battlefield-park/#google_vignette
  30. ^ https://www.greaterbelize.com/the-father-of-the-nation-immortalized/
  31. ^ https://amandala.com.bz/news/george-price-honored-on-his-birthday/
  32. ^ "Former Belize Prime Minister dies". The Gleaner. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 September 2011. Retrieved 19 June 2025.
  33. ^ "George Price obituary". The Daily Telegraph. 29 September 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  34. ^ https://amandala.com.bz/news/rt-hon-george-price-dies/
  35. ^ https://amandala.com.bz/news/belize-mourns-the-death-of-rt-hon-george-cadle-price/
  36. ^ "George Price - 1st leader of Belize, 92". The Philadelphia Inquirer. 22 September 2011. Archived from the original on 29 June 2025. Retrieved 29 June 2025.
  37. ^ https://archive.channel5belize.com/archives/61273
  38. ^ "Remembering Father of the Nation: Right Honourable George Cadle Price". The San Pedro Sun. 15 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 February 2025. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
  39. ^ "Wreath-Laying Ceremony Held to Honor George Price's 13th Anniversary of Passing". LOVE FM. 19 September 2024. Archived from the original on 24 November 2024. Retrieved 28 June 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by
office created
 Prime Minister of Belize
1981–1984 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Prime Minister of Belize
1989–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Leader of the People's United Party
1956–1996 		Succeeded by