Today in History: March 13

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – On this day in Bahamian history, Meyer Rassin was born in 1909.

Rassin was a doctor who emigrated to the Bahama Islands sometime in 1942. The Bahamas Historical Society notes he worked as a doctor and later founded Rassin Hospital on New Providence with his wife in 1955. Today it is known as Doctor’s Hospital.

Dr. Rassin died in Nassau in 1989.

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In 1922 Edwin Paul Albury was born on Harbour Island, Eleuthera.

Albury was an author, historian and third president of the Bahamas Historical Society. Among his works are: The Story of The Bahamas, The Paradise Island Story and The Harbour Island Story.

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On March 13, 1930, Eileen Dupuch Carron was born in Nassau.

Her father was the founder and editor of The Tribune newspaper.

The Bahamas Historical Society notes she became assistant editor at The Tribune in 1962 and ten years later in 1972 she took over as publisher of the daily newspaper.

In 1993 she became owner of the first privately owned radio station in The Bahamas, 100 JAMZ.

As of August 2016, she was the longest currently serving editor and publisher in The Bahamas at 53 years.

She was also the first female pilot in The Bahamas. She was married to Roger Peter Carron, now deceased.

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On this day in 1980, Roland Symonette died in Nassau, Bahamas at the age of 81.

The Bahamas Historical Society notes that in his lifetime, Symonette was a school teacher, bootlegger, businessman and politician.

During the Prohibition Era in the United States he ran rum into the country and with the profits started and invested in various businesses, including real estate, liquor stores and shipping.

In 1925 he was elected to the House of Assembly and still holds the record for being the longest serving member of Parliament in The Bahamas at 52 years (1925 – 1977).

He was Chief Minister of the Bahama Islands from 1955 to 1964 and when the colony was granted internal self rule he became the first Premier of the Bahamas on 7th January 1964.

When the United Bahamian Party was founded, he was their first and only leader.

Posthumously his image was placed on the $50 Bahamian banknote. He’s the father of former Free National Movement cabinet minister Brent Symonette.