Sir William George Mallet was a former Governor-General of Saint Lucia.

Early life and education

William George Mallet was born in Panama on 24 July 1923. He acquired his education at the Roman Catholic Boy's School in Castries and at the Castries Intermediate Secondary School. Upon graduation, he joined the commercial sector, first as a clerk and later became Sales Manager.

Career

In 1958 he was elected to the Saint Lucia Legislative Council to represent the constituency of Castries Central. He thereby resigned from his post as Accountant which he held with a leading business house in Castries. He was first elected to the Castries City Council in 1952. He served as chairman of that Council until 1964 when he retired and was appointed to the post of Minister for Trade, Industry, Agriculture and Tourism. He held this position until 1979 when with a change of government he became a member of opposition in the Saint Lucia House of Assembly.

Sir George returned in 1982 to serve as Minister for Trade, Industry and Tourism until 1992. Prior to that year's General Election he was given the responsibility for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Trade and Industry. A year later, he undertook the additional responsibility of Ministry for Caricom Affairs. He was also Deputy Prime Minister. After thirty eight years of service, he resigned his seat in the House of Assembly. However, before leaving office, Mallet campaigned heavily for his chosen successor to the Castries Central seat, Dr. Vaughan Lewis. Lewis, a former director of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), won the Castries Central seat and assumed the office of Prime Minister on 2 April 1996.

On 1 June 1996, Sir George was appointed to the office of Governor General. Sir George retired from the post of Governor-General on 31 August 1997.

Honours and awards

For his long years of dedicated service, he was awarded the insignia of the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen in 1989.

In 1996 he was awarded Grand Cross of the Order of St. Lucia.

In February 1997, he was awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Lucia.

Death

Sir George died on 20 October 2010, aged 87.