Bermuda's First Black Rhodes Scholar, Arthur Hodgson, Has Died

HAMILTON, Bermuda — Premier David Burt has led tributes to Arthur Hodgson, Bermuda’s first black Rhodes Scholar, who later became an attorney, magistrate and a government minister. He was 82 years old.

Rhodes scholars are selected from a pool of candidates nominated by their colleges and universities worldwide and they undergo studies in various disciplines at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Burt, who is also Finance Minister, called Hodgson “one of the leaders of a generation of social justice champions,” adding “Mr Hodgson was an outstanding scholar and served at the vanguard of the earliest days of party politics in Bermuda.

“He brought an unparalleled commitment to public service as an educator, parliamentarian, minister of the environment, lawyer and magistrate. With his granddaughter [Arianna Hodgson] serving in the Senate, Arthur Hodgson’s legacy is a source of pride and inspiration.”

Hodgson was appointed Environment Minister by Dame Jennifer Smith, the Progressive Labour Party’s (PLP) first premier after the party ended 30 years of rule by the now defunct United Bermuda Party (UBP) in 1998

Hodgson relinquished the cabinet post just days after unsuccessfully challenging Dame Jennifer for the PLP leadership in 2000 and later backed Ewart Brown in his leadership bid.

Brown, who served as premier from 2006 to 2010, said “Arthur was my friend and political colleague for more than 30 years. His contributions to the PLP and Bermuda were historic and memorable.

“Arthur was a man of devout faith and a unique combination of brilliance and stubbornness. I miss him already – and Bermuda will miss him more as time goes by.”

Hodgson worked within the PLP through the 1960s, being elected to the House of Assembly in 1980, representing Hamilton West until 1983.

He went to law school after losing his seat, earning his degree in law from the University of Buckingham. He then attended the Middle Temple in London, where he was called to the Bar of England and Wales.

He returned as an MP in the landmark general election of 1998 that launched the PLP to power.

Occasionally outspoken when he disagreed with colleagues, Hodgson was the brother of the late educator and civil rights campaigner Eva Hodgson, a prolific writer of letters to the editor, who died in 2020 aged 95.

He is survived by his wife, Liris and three children.