Eighth Governor General, Nation-Builder
Sir Arthur Alexander Foulkes is a Bahamian politician who served as the eighth governor-general of the Bahamas.
A founder of the Free National Movement, Sir Arthur was elected to the House of Assembly in 1967 and was appointed to the Senate in 1972 and 1977. Under Prime Minister Lynden Pindling, Sir Arthur served as Minister of Communications and Minister of Tourism. In 2001, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG). He was promoted to Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (GCMG) in 2011.
Sir Arthur was born in Matthew Town on the island of Inagua. He began his career as a newspaper linotype operator for both the Nassau Guardian and The Tribune. During his tenure at The Tribune, Sir Arthur rose from reporter to News Editor under the tutelage of Sir Étienne Dupuch.
Sir Arthur became the Bahamas’ High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in 1992 and served as an ambassador to France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and the European Union. In 1999, he became the first Bahamian ambassador to China and Cuba.
Sir Arthur’s wife, Lady Foulkes, is the former Joan Eleanor Bullard of Nassau.