The Bahamas Historical Society is operated by a dedicated management team and a group of  committed volunteers.

Andrea Major 

President
2014 to present
New Dreams
New Horizons

 

Elected Officers of The Bahamas Historical Society 2022 – 2023

President                       Andrea P
                                      Munnings Major

1st Vice President         Jim Lawlor

2nd Vice President       Sybil Allen

Treasurer                       Subrenna Higgs

Assistant Treasurer      Hilda Ferguson

Recording Secretary     Godfrey Kelly

Corresponding
Secretary                      Jim Lawlor

TRUSTEES:

Dr. Grace Turner           Virginia Ballance

Anthony Roberts

Commodore (Retired)    Tellis Bethel

Lesvie Archer                 Cora E Carey

COMMITTEE:

Dr.Vernell Allen, MBE

Godfrey Kelly                Penelope Nottage

Dr Ronald Knowles      Thomas Wardle

EDITORS: 

Dr. Grace Turner

EDITORIAL COMMITTEE:

Patricia Glinton-Meicholas     Felicity Johnson

Dr. Lisa Lawlor-Feller             Joanne Smith

Lesvie Archer.                        Jim Lawlor

ADVERTISING:

Jim Lawlor

MUSEUM ADMINISTRATION
& PUBLIC RELATIONS

Andrea P Major

Thanks to Our Volunteers!

Esther Deryckere             Andrea P Major

Sybil Allen                        Patricia
                                        Moutardier Smith

Travis Thompson            Thomas Wardle

E-Blast Newsletters:      
Jamaal Miller

Facebook, IT:  
Robert Dorsett Media

Video Recording: 
Subrenna Higgs

FOUNDERS & PAST PRESIDENTS

Our founders and past presidents would be proud of the our efforts to ensure that residents and visitors are able to participate in the foundation, which was laid in 1959 to preserve Bahamian history.

LADY MARY ARTHUR

(Wife of Bahamas Governor Sir Oswald Raynor Arthur)
Founder of
The Bahamas Historical Society

5 October, 1959

She was endowed with that inbred sense of purpose and duty.
The desirability of a Bahamas Historical Society was forcefully impressed upon her mind during a cruise through the West Indies in the summer of 1958, where she found many active societies.

SIR GEORGE ROBERTS
Founder-President,
1960-1964

After the inaugural meeting on that memorable after­noon of October 5, 1959, Lady Arthur was elected Patron and Sir George Roberts President. Miss Mary Moseley, the doyenne of Bahamian historical enthusiasts, who was then ailing, was made Honorary President. The Vice Pre­sidency fell to Mrs. Harcourt Malcolm in recognition of her husband’s valuable contributions to history. The posts of secretaries were filled by Mrs. H. G. Christie and Mrs. Harry P. Sands.

The worried question that Sir George frequently asked in those days was: “What are we going to do with the Historical Society?” And the answers he received were not helpful.

SIR HAROLD
GEORGE CHRISTIE

President, 1964-1973

Meetings were held at various venues:

Government House

Mary Moseley’s house

Rand Compound

Dundas Civic Centre

 

DR EDWIN
PAUL ALBURY

President, 1973 – 1983

At long last we had a permanent home; no more shifting about; no more demoralizing un­certainty. And under the direction of Paul Albury, himself an accomplished researcher, writer and speaker of history, the Society could flourish and other things were falling into place.

JUNE MAURA
M.B.E., M.V.O.

President, 1983 – 1988

 

GAIL SAUNDERS

President, 1988 – 1999

The Archives, under the direction of Mrs. Gail Saunders, was developing into an important centre of primary research; a determined effort was being made to introduce the teaching of Bahamian history into the schools, and The College of The Bahamas was getting underway with teachers better qualified and more inquisitive than our country had known before.

DAVID CATES

President, 1999 – 2006
Treasurer, 2006 – 2015

Introduction of website and emails.

 

STEPHEN ARANHA

President, 1988 – 1999

 

JIM LAWLOR

President, 2009 – 2014

“My first aim as President was to get to know my committee, volunteers, members and visitors – I did and they are wonderful people. My second aim was to clean and revamp the Museum and make it more attractive. I am happy to say my third aim to build up the membership was successful. Finally, I hope that I got people to become much more interested and aware of history – my regular newsletters were appreciated and I think people did start through my newsletters to sip sip history”.