Background
Willard Wheatley was born on 16 July 1915 in the British Virgin Islands.
Willard Wheatley was born on 16 July 1915 in the British Virgin Islands.
He got his primary schooling in the British Virgin Islands, and then went to the government Teaching College in Irinidad and the University of Nottingham.
He was a teacher for 35 years and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Public Health for four years. He was first elected to the Legislative Council in 1971 as an independent, but he joined with two members of the Democratic Party to form the government, of which he became Chief Minister. In 1978 he was again elected to the Council, that time by the United Party, but he abandoned that party to continue as Chief Minister, with the support of the Virgin Islands party. He ceased being Chief Minister after the election of 1979.