Background
LUYT, Richard was born on November 8, 1915 in Cape Town, South Africa. Son of Richard Robins Luyt and Wilhelmina Roberta Frances Edmonds.
LUYT, Richard was born on November 8, 1915 in Cape Town, South Africa. Son of Richard Robins Luyt and Wilhelmina Roberta Frances Edmonds.
Diocesan College, Rondebosch, University of Cape Town and Trinity College, Oxford.
He installed Forbes Burnham of the People"s National Congress (PNC) as premier of a coalition government with a small business-oriented conservative party in 1964. However, the People"s Progressive Party (PPP) came first in the election. Deadly riots ensued when the PPP was not allowed to form the government.
Upon independence in May 1966, Sir Richard was sworn in as Governor-General of Guyana, a position which he held until December the same year.
Having been born and educated in Cape Town, he returned there in 1967 as principal and vice-chancellor of the University of Cape Town, a post which he held until 1980. During this period, at the height of the apartheid years in South Africa, academic freedom was under threat and Sir Richard was in the forefront of South African vice-chancellors who fought to protect these freedoms.
He also vigorously objected against banning orders and detention without trial of students and staff who protested against apartheid. Sir Richard was an excellent cricketer and rugby player.
He obtained a Rugby Blue at the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar and played in three first-class cricket matches for Oxford University Cricket Club.
Married 1st Jean Mary Wilder in 1948 (died in 1951), one daughter.