Barbados' Newest Knight is His Honour Senator Dr. Branford Mayhew Taitt

Dr. Branford Taitt, 72, will be styled "Sir Branford", and heads a list of 20 awardees recognised on the 44th anniversary of Barbados' Independence under the honours system instituted in July 1980. Sir Branford will be the only person awarded a knighthood during the 30th November, 2010, Independence celebration, and will be awarded the the Knight of St?Andrew (KA).

The honour has been presented for his distinguished career and his outstanding service and contribution to Barbados and public life.

Dr. Taitt received his formal education at Wesley Hall Boys School and Combermere School. Dr. Taitt holds an LL.B (Honours) Degree from the University of the West Indies and is a Visiting Senior Lecturer in Law at the University's Barbados Campus. He earned a Master of Public Administration Degree from New York University and was graduated with an A.B. (cum laude) from Brooklyn College of the City University of New York in 1965.

He served as Minister of Trade, Industry and Commerce from 1971-1976, as Minister of Tourism and Industry from 1986-1987 and Minister of Health from 1987-1993. Mr. Taitt was a Member of the Barbados Parliament from 1971, having been appointed a Senator, until 1999. He was elected in 1976 and re-elected in 1981, in May 1986, in June 1991 and in September, 1994.

He was appointed President of the Senate in 2008 following the Democratic Labour Party's win in the January 15, 2008 general election.

The Knight of St. Andrew (KA)

The Order of Barbados was instituted by Letters Patent on July 25, 1980, as part of the Barbados National Honours and Decorations System. The Knight or Dame of St. Andrew is the highest order given by the Barbadian government, and is awarded for "extraordinary and outstanding achievement and merit in service to Barbados or to humanity at large".

Recipients are styled as a Knight or Dame of St. Andrew. They carry the prefix Sir or Dame, and the post-nominal letters KA (Knight of St. Andrew) or DA (Dame of St. Andrew).