Clifford Dupont facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Clifford Dupont
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Clifford Dupont as President of Rhodesia
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| President of Rhodesia | |
| In office 16 April 1970 – 31 December 1975 |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Himself (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Henry Everard (Acting) |
| President of Rhodesia | |
| In office 2 March 1970 – 16 April 1970 Acting |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Himself as Officer Administering the Government |
| Succeeded by | Himself as President |
| Officer Administrating the Government | |
| In office 16 December 1965 – 2 March 1970 |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Himself (Acting) |
| Succeeded by | Himself as President (Acting) |
| Officer Administrating the Government | |
| In office 17 November 1965 – 16 December 1965 Acting |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Vacant (before 11 November 1965 Sir Humphrey Gibbs as Governor of Rhodesia) |
| Succeeded by | Himself as Officer Administering the Government |
| 2nd Deputy Prime Minister | |
| In office 21 August 1964 – 17 November 1965 |
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| Prime Minister | Ian Smith |
| Preceded by | Ian Smith |
| Succeeded by | John Wrathall |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 December 1905 London, England |
| Died | 28 June 1978 (aged 72) Salisbury, Rhodesia |
| Political party | Rhodesian Front |
| Spouses |
Barbie Dunport
(m. 1933; div. 1942)Betty Wood
(m. 1946; died 1957)Armenell Mary Betty Bennet
(m. 1963) |
| Children | Hilary Graham Stephen |
| Alma mater | Clare College, Cambridge |
| Profession | Solicitor |
| Awards |   |
Clifford Walter Dupont (6 December 1905 – 28 June 1978) was a British-born politician in Rhodesia. He held important leadership roles in Rhodesia when it was not recognized by other countries. From 1965 to 1970, he was the Officer Administering the Government. Then, from 1970 to 1975, he became the first President of Rhodesia.
Born in London, England, Dupont first worked as a lawyer. During World War II, he served as an officer in the British army in North Africa. He visited Southern Rhodesia in 1947 and moved there permanently a few years later. He started a successful cattle ranch.
When Rhodesia declared itself independent from Britain in 1965, Clifford Dupont was the Deputy Prime Minister. He was the second person to sign the declaration. He later became the country's first president. He retired in 1976 due to poor health and passed away in 1978.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Africa
Growing Up and Becoming a Lawyer
Clifford Dupont was born in London, England, on December 6, 1905. His family had a background from France. He was one of five children. His father owned a business that dealt with clothing materials.
Clifford went to Bishop's Stortford College and then studied law at Clare College, Cambridge. In 1929, he became a lawyer, and by 1933, he had his own law firm.
Serving in World War II
During his university years, Clifford was part of the Royal Artillery Officer Training Corps. When World War II began, he joined the Artillery as an officer. He served in North Africa and later worked with General Dwight D. Eisenhower in Europe in 1944. He finished the war as an official in the War Office.
Starting a New Life in Rhodesia
In 1947, Dupont visited Southern Rhodesia for a short time. He liked it so much that he returned in 1948. He bought land near Salisbury (now Harare) and turned it into a successful cattle ranch. He moved to Rhodesia permanently in the early 1950s. At this time, Southern Rhodesia was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.
Sadly, Clifford faced personal difficulties during this time. His second wife passed away in 1957. The next year, in 1958, his son and daughter died in a plane crash.
Getting Involved in Politics
Joining the Government
Clifford Dupont began his political career in 1958. He won a seat in the federal parliament for the Dominion Party. Four years later, in 1962, he became a member of the Southern Rhodesian parliament for the Rhodesian Front (RF) party. At the same time, he was made the Minister for Justice.
He became close with Ian Smith, another rising politician in the Rhodesian Front. Dupont helped Smith become the prime minister in 1964. Because of this, Dupont was promoted to be Smith's deputy. As Deputy Prime Minister of Rhodesia, he was in charge of External Affairs. In June 1965, he also took on the Defence role.
Rhodesia's Independence and His Role
Signing the Declaration
From August 1964, Clifford Dupont was the Deputy Prime Minister of Rhodesia. He was also the Minister of External Affairs and Defence. On November 11, 1965, when Prime Minister Ian Smith announced Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain, Dupont was the second person to sign the important document.
Smith's government still said they were loyal to Queen Elizabeth II. They recognized her as the head of state. However, they stopped recognizing the authority of the British-appointed Governor, Humphrey Gibbs. When Governor Gibbs tried to fire Smith and his government, Smith said Gibbs no longer had that power.
Becoming the Leader
Instead, on November 17, 1965, Smith's government appointed Dupont to a new role: Acting Officer Administering the Government. People who thought UDI was illegal did not recognize Dupont's new position.
Smith also asked the Queen to accept Dupont as the Governor-General of Rhodesia. But the Queen refused, saying she could not accept such a request. The UK and most other countries believed Governor Gibbs was the only legal authority in Rhodesia.
To respect the royal family, Smith changed his plan slightly. On December 16, Dupont was officially appointed as the Officer Administering the Government. He used this title until Rhodesia became a republic in 1970.
In a public vote held in 1969, most white voters agreed to a new plan. This plan would make Rhodesia a republic, with a president as the ceremonial head of state. A law was passed in November, and Dupont signed it into law. His last duty as Officer Administering the Government was to sign the official declaration of a republic on March 2, 1970.
His Time as President
After Rhodesia became a republic on March 2, 1970, Clifford Dupont was made the temporary president. On April 14, when Rhodesia was formally declared a republic, Parliament officially elected Dupont as the first President.
Towards the end of his time as president, he faced many health problems. He retired from his role on December 31, 1975.
Personal Life
Clifford Dupont married Barbara in London in 1933. They had two children, Hilary and Graham, before they divorced in 1942. Graham passed away as a child in 1942.
In 1946, Clifford married his second wife, Betty Wood. They had a son named Stephen in 1947. Betty died in 1957 in Salisbury. In 1958, his two children, Hilary and Stephen, tragically died in a plane crash near Benghazi.
On May 23, 1963, he married Armenell Mary Betty Bennet. She was from Cornwall and worked for the Rhodesian Front party. They did not have any children together. Armenell passed away in Harare in 2000.
Clifford Dupont died on June 27, 1978, at the age of 72. He was receiving treatment for what was thought to be cancer.
Awards
Legion of Merit (Grand Commander - Civilian) (GCLM) (Rhodesia)
Independence Decoration (ID) (Rhodesia)
