John Carter (ambassador)

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John Carter
Guyanese Ambassador to the United States
In office
18 July 1966 – 11 July 1970
Succeeded byRahman Baccus Gajraj
Guyanese High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
1970–1975
In office
1976–1979
Preceded byDavid Arthur Singh
Succeeded by
In office
1981–1983
Personal details
Born(1919-01-27)27 January 1919
Cane Grove Village on the East Coast of Demerara, British Guiana.
Died23 February 2005(2005-02-23) (aged 86)
Suburban Hospital, Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Spouse(s)Lady Sarah Lou Harris Carter
Children4
EducationLondon University

Sir John Carter (27 January 1919[1] – 23 February 2005) was a Guyanese politician, lawyer and diplomat.

Career[]

Born in Cane Grove, Demerara he attended Queens College, Georgetown (then British Guiana)[1]

From 1939 to 1945, during the Second World War, he studied and taught law in London and his legal expertise became invaluable on numerous discrimination cases to the League of Coloured Peoples. In 1944, he became involved in a case of an African-American soldier serving in Britain who had been condemned to death for rape by a US military court. In the end, the sentence was commuted.

In 1945, he returned to British Guiana and established a law practice. To his mandatories belonged Forbes Burnham and Desmond Hoyte. In 1948 he became the youngest member of the colony's legislative council.

In 1952, he founded the United Democratic Party; in 1957 Forbes Burnham convinced him to become the first chairman of the People's National Congress.

In 1962, he became a Queen's Counsel; he was knighted four years later. On 28 June 1966, he was appointed the first ambassador to Washington, D. C. where he was accredited from 18 July 1966 till 11 July 1970 and was concurrently accredited to the United Nations and was High Commissioner in Ottawa (Canada). From 1970 to 1976 he was High Commissioner in London, and was concurrently accredited in Paris (France), Bonn (West Germany), Moscow (Soviet Union) and Belgrade (Yugoslavia). While he was High Commissioner in London, the government of Forbes Burnham nationalised a sugar company from Booker Group.[2] From 1976 to 1979 he was ambassador in Beijing with accreditation in Tokyo and Pyongyang (North Korea).[3] From 1981 till his retirement in 1983 he was High commissioner (Commonwealth) in Kingston, Jamaica.

In 1983, he settled with his with his second wife, Sara Lou, in Washington, D.C..[4]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Sir John Carter: January 27, 1919 - February 23, 2005 | Guyana Graphic". www.guyanagraphic.com.
  2. ^ Tracy J. Prince, Culture Wars in British Literature: Multiculturalism and National Identity, p. 146
  3. ^ Jet, 29 November 1979, [1]
  4. ^ Guyana Graphic, 1 June 2012, [2],The Guardian, obituary, edited by Lawrence Goldman, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography 2005–2008 p. 192 f.
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