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On June 28th, 2016, the Governor-General Sir Tapley W Seaton QC will confer upon the Rt Hon and Rt Excellent Dr. Sir Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds the Order of National Hero at an investiture at Govt. House.

Sir Kennedy Simmonds  will be the first Living National to be conferred with the federation’s highest distinction the Order of National Hero.

National Hero has been conferred four times, all posthumously, to His Excellency Sir Robert Bradshaw, his  Excellency Joseph N. France, His Excelency C.A. Paul Southwell and the Rt  Excellent Dr. Sir Simeon Daniel.

Sir Simmonds is resoundingly regarded as the Father of an Independent St.Kitts-Nevos having led the country to Independence in 1983. Sir Simmonds succeeded in bringing both islands together politically which resulted in an Independent St.Kitts-Nevis. Prior to 1980 when the Sir Simmonds led PAM/NRP Administration took office, the road to independence was negatively impacted and consitently hindered  by the then RL Bradshaw Led Labour Government’s inability to nurture a positive relationship with Nevis. Sir Simmonds was able to nurture and develop that relationship and thus cleared any impediment towards an Independent Nation of St.Kitts-Nevis.

Sir Simmonds has an enviable list of achievements and accomplishments some of which are listed below:

 

Major Achievements

 

• Leeward Island Scholar 1954

 

• Graduated With Degree in Medicine UCWI – 1962
  

  Kennedy Simmonds Graduating UWI in 1962

 

• Fellowship of the American College of Anesthesiologists – 1970

 

• First UWI Graduate Elected To Head A Caribbean Country – 1980
  

  Sir Kennedy Simmonds entering Parliament for the first time as Prime Minister of St. Kitts & Nevis!

 

• Honoured “Super Lion” – Chancellor Hall, University of The West Indies

 

• Republic Of Columbia – Presented Key to The City – 1981

 

• First Prime Minister Of St. Kitts and Nevis – 1983

 

• Appointed To Her Majesty’s Privy Council – 1984

 

• Honorary Doctorate of Philosophy, University of South Florida – 1989

 

• Order of The Liberator, Venezuela’s Highest Civilian Honour – 1991

 

• Lion’s International President’s Award –  1992

 

• Eastern Caribbean Central Bank 10th Anniversary Award – 1993

 

• Made a KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE MOST DISTINGUISHED ORDER OF     ST.MICHAEL AND ST. GEORGE (K.C.M.G.). The investiture was performed by the Queen at Buckingham Palace on November 16, 2004.

 

• Awarded Medal of Honour by Anguilla May 30, 2005
  

  Former Prime Minister Dr. the Right Hon. Sir Kennedy Simmonds (right) receiving Medal of Honour from Anguilla

• Appointed to the International Advisory Council of the National Cancer Coalition of the U.S.A. January 2006.
• In September 2015 Awarded the Federation of St.Kitts-Nevis’ highest distinction of National Hero and became St.Kitts-Nevis’ Fifth and ONLY Living National Hero.