John Wrathall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable John Wrathall
John James Wrathall
2nd President of Rhodesia
In office 14 January 1976 – 31 August 1978
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Henry Everard (Acting)
Succeeded by	Henry Everard (Acting)
Minister of African Education
In office 11 October 1963 – 14 May 1964
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Jack Howman
Succeeded by	Post abolished
Minister of Education
In office 1 January 1964 – 14 April 1964
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	George Arthur Davenport
Succeeded by	Arthur Philip Smith
Minister of Health
In office 29 November 1963 – 14 April 1964
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Patrick Bissett Fletcher
Succeeded by	Ian Finlay McLean
Minister of Finance
In office 14 April 1964 – January 1976
Prime Minister	Ian Smith
Preceded by	Ian Smith
Succeeded by	David Smith
Member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly for Bulawayo South
In office 27 January 1954 – 5 June 1958
Preceded by	Henry Holmes
Succeeded by	Benny Goldstein
Member of the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly for Bulawayo North
In office 14 December 1962 – 10 April 1970
Preceded by	Ian Finlay McLean
Succeeded by	Assembly dissolved
Member of the House of Assembly of Rhodesia for Bulawayo North
In office 10 April 1970 – 30 July 1974
Preceded by	New seat
Succeeded by	Denis Walker
Member of the Rhodesian Senate
In office 1974–1976
Personal details
Born	28 August 1913 Lancaster, Lancashire, England
Died	31 August 1978(1978-08-31) (aged 65) Salisbury, Rhodesia
Spouse	Doreen Wrathall (died 2009)
Relations	Jonathan Wrathall, Christopher Wrathall
Awards

John James Wrathall (born August 28, 1913 – died August 31, 1978) was a politician from Rhodesia. He was born in Britain and later became the last white President of Rhodesia. Before his political career, he worked as a professional accountant.

Who Was John Wrathall?

John Wrathall played a very important role in the government of Rhodesia. He held several key positions, including being the Minister of Finance and eventually the President. His work helped shape the country's economy and its path during a challenging time.

Early Life and Education

John Wrathall was born in Lancaster, a town in England, on August 28, 1913. He attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School as a student. After finishing school, he trained to become a chartered accountant, which is a highly skilled accounting professional. He qualified in 1935.

In 1936, John Wrathall moved to Southern Rhodesia, which is now the country of Zimbabwe. For the next ten years, he worked for the government of Southern Rhodesia in their income tax department.

Starting a Political Career

In 1946, John Wrathall started his own private accounting business in Bulawayo. Around the same time, he began to get involved in politics. In 1949, he was elected to the Bulawayo City Council, where he served for ten years.

In 1954, Wrathall was elected to the Southern Rhodesian Legislative Assembly. This was like being a member of parliament for the region. He represented the area called Bulawayo South. He was part of the United Federal Party at that time. He served one term before stepping down in 1958.

Joining the Rhodesian Front

By 1962, John Wrathall had changed his political views. He became one of the first members of a new political party called the Rhodesian Front. This party was led by Winston Field. In December 1962, he was elected again to the Legislative Assembly, this time representing Bulawayo North. He won by a small number of votes.

Because he was one of the most experienced members of his new party, he was given important jobs. In October 1963, he became the Minister of African Education. A month later, he also took on the role of Minister of Health.

Important Government Roles

In April 1964, John Wrathall was part of a group that decided to replace Winston Field with Ian Smith as the Prime Minister. Ian Smith then promoted Wrathall to a very important position: Minister of Finance and of Posts and Telecommunications. This meant he was in charge of the country's money and its postal services.

Minister of Finance

On November 11, 1965, John Wrathall was one of the people who signed the Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI). This was when Rhodesia declared itself an independent country without the agreement of the United Kingdom. After this, other countries put in place sanctions against Rhodesia. Sanctions are like rules or penalties that countries use to pressure another country.

From September 7, 1966, he also served as the Deputy Prime Minister of Rhodesia. People sometimes called him "the quiet man of Rhodesian politics." However, he played a very important role in helping Rhodesia deal with the challenges caused by the international sanctions.

Rhodesia's New Money

As Minister of Finance, John Wrathall also oversaw a big change in Rhodesia's money system. The country switched from using the Rhodesian pound to a new decimal currency called the Rhodesian dollar. A decimal currency uses units of ten, like how one dollar is made of 100 cents. He believed the name "dollar" sounded more international.

In July 1973, he stopped being in charge of the postal services. In 1974, he left the House of Assembly and moved to the Senate, which is another part of the government. In 1975, he presented his 12th and final budget as Rhodesia's longest-serving Minister of Finance.

Becoming President

In 1976, John Wrathall became the second President of Rhodesia. He took over from Clifford Dupont. On January 14, 1976, he was officially sworn in as president. The ceremony took place at Government House, and Prime Minister Ian Smith and his government ministers were there to witness it.

John Wrathall served as president for about two and a half years. He passed away while still in office on August 31, 1978, due to a heart attack.

Awards and Recognition

John Wrathall received several awards for his service. These included:

• Legion of Merit (Grand Commander - Civilian) (GCLM) (Rhodesia)
• Independence Decoration (ID) (Rhodesia)