23 Facts About Philip Goldson

Philip Stanley Wilberforce Goldson was a Belizean newspaper editor, activist and politician.

Philip Goldson served in the House of Representatives of Belize as member for the Albert constituency from 1965 to 1998 and twice as a minister.

Philip Goldson was the leading spokesman of the hardline anti-Guatemalan territorial claims National Alliance for Belizean Rights party in the 1990s.

Philip Goldson was born in Belize City to Peter Edward Philip Goldson and Florence Babb and attended St Mary's Primary School.

From 1941 to 1947, Philip Goldson worked in the British Honduras Civil Service, at the same time he started his journalism career doing editing work at the Civil Service Chronicle.

Philip Goldson became the national organizer of The General Workers' Union in 1949, later becoming its general secretary.

Philip Goldson continued to edit the Belize Billboard and kept it running as a daily newspaper until its offices were destroyed in the late 1960s.

In 1954 Philip Goldson won a seat in the newly created British Honduras Legislative Assembly, where he was appointed member for Social Services.

Philip Goldson's portfolio included Labour, Housing and Planning, Health, Education and Social Welfare and Community Development.

In 1956, Philip Goldson resigned from the PUP along with nine others, citing Price's ambitious moves within the party hierarchy.

Philip Goldson would serve the rest of his political career in opposition to Price and the PUP.

Philip Goldson was not a candidate for the Legislative Assembly in 1961, but in 1965 won the Belize City-based Albert constituency as leader of the National Independence Party.

Philip Goldson, according to historian Assad Shoman, singlehandedly kept the two party system in Belize alive at a time when citizens distrusted the PUP and ignored the NIP.

Philip Goldson eventually left to pursue a law degree in London, returning in 1974 after the formation of the UDP.

Philip Goldson charged that the PUP and UDP had hijacked politics in Belize for themselves and pledged to fight Belize's cause.

Philip Goldson retired from the Belize House after the 1998 election.

Philip Goldson married Hadie Jones on April 28,1954, the same day as his first election.

In early 1972, Mr Philip Goldson went to London to study law, and Mrs Philip Goldson took their children to New York City.

When Mr Philip Goldson returned to Belize in the summer of 1974, Mrs Philip Goldson and their children remained in New York.

Mr Philip Goldson began pursuing a law degree in 1974 at the age of 51.

Philip Goldson was eventually admitted to Lincoln's Inn in London.

In September 2001, shortly before his death, Philip Goldson was awarded the Order of Belize.

In September 2008, Philip Goldson was posthumously awarded the country's highest honour, the Order of the National Hero.