Frank Baron dies

Franklin Andrew Merrifield Baron, better known as Frank Baron died today, 9 April 2016 at the Princess Margaret Hospital. He had been sick for some time.

Baron was born on 17 January 1923.

He was Dominica's first Chief Minister; he held that position from 1 January 1960 to January 1961.

In 1945, at age 22, Baron was elected to the Roseau City Council.

In the 1950s he was also a member of the Executive Council of Dominica.

In 1957, Baron formed the Dominica United People's Party (DUPP) and in 1959 the DUPP won the general elections and Baron became the Chief Minister.

However, a year later the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) led by Edward Oliver LeBlanc defeated Baron's party.

Apart from his active political life, Baron was a successful businessman; he owned Paramount Printers and was the former owner of the Chronicle Newspaper.

Baron is the father of Francine Baron, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Roosevelt Skerrit administration.

In 2003, Irving W. Andre published Baron's biography: Franklin Andrew Merrifield Baron: A Biography of Dominica's First Chief Minister: The Man, the Myth, and the Mission.

(Historical Source: CC Caribbean Elections)