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	President’s Profile
	His Excellency Prof. George Maxwell Richards T.C., C.M.T., PhD President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Professor George Maxwell Richards, T.C., CMT, Ph.D. was born in 1931 at San Fernando in Trinidad and Tobago. He is the fourth President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A chemical engineer by training, Professor Richards was Principal of St. Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies in Trinidad in 1996. He had earlier worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd. before joining the University of the West Indies in 1965. He was sworn into office as President on March 17, 2003 for a five-year term. Professor Richards is the first Head of State in the Anglophone Caribbean of Amerindian ancestry.

Professor Richards received his primary education at San Fernando before before winning an exhibition (scholarship) to attend Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain. From 1950 to 1951 he worked for the United British Oilfields of Trinidad (precursor to Shell Trinidad Ltd.) at Point Fortin. He received a scholarship from them to study chemical engineering. Professor Richards then attended the University of Manchester where he took a Bachelor's degree (1955) and a Master's degree (1957). He then obtained a doctorate in Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge (Pembroke).

Professor Richards returned to Trinidad and worked for Shell Trinidad Ltd. between 1957 and 1965 before joining the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of the West Indies, eventually attainting the post of Professor of Chemical Engineering. From 1980-1985, Professor Richards served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Principal of the University. He served as Acting Principal of the St. Augustine Campus from 1984-1985, and was confirmed in the position in 1985. Professor Richards served as Principal through the turbulent period in 1988 then the Government slashed the university's budget by 30% and instituted a cess on university students. He managed to keep the university afloat through this difficult period and retired as Principal in 1996 although he continued to teach as Professor Emeritus until he was elected President. Professor Richards has also served on the Boards of many Trinidad and Tobago companies including that of the state-owned oil company, Trintoc (now Petrotrin), the National Gas Company and the Trinidad Publishing Company.

In 1977, Professor Richards received the Chaconia Medal of the National Order of the Trinity, Class 1 Gold (the Chaconia Medal, Gold) for his contributions to Trinidad and Tobago. He is married to Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, an anaesthetist. They have two children; son Mark, who is also a medical doctor and daughter Maxine, who is a businesswoman.