Joseph Howard (Prime Minister)

Joseph Howard, OBE (1862–20 May 1925) was Prime Minister of Malta from 1921 to 1923.

Born in Valletta, Malta's first Prime Minister under the Colonial Government, Joseph Howard was educated at the Lyceum and abroad and served as an officer in the French Military academy. He joined the commercial sector - the tobacco industry - and was appointed director of Cousis Cigarettes. Between 1914 and 1925 he served as consul of Japan and later President of the Chamber of Commerce.

In 1912, Joseph Howard was elected member to the Council of Government after being nominated by the Comitato Patriottico. In 1921, he joined the UPM of Mgr. I. Panzavecchia and was elected Senator in the first Maltese Parliament. As Panzavecchia did not accept the premiership, Governor Lord Plumer offered the post to Howard. Between 1921 and 1923 Joseph Howard managed to lead the first Maltese Government with the support of the Labour Party. His successes were mainly due to his keen sense of tolerance and the result of his vast experience in administration.

Howard was regarded as the gentleman 'par excellence' and was held in great esteem by politicians of all political creeds.

Joseph Howard was President of the Government emigration committee and in 1919 he headed the Maltese delegation to France which discussed the employment of Maltese labour in that country. He was also President of the Societa' dell'Arte, Manifattura e Commercio and President of the La Societa Filarmonica La Valette. He was also made Officer of the British Empire (OBE).

There were other Maltese Prime Ministers after him but Malta still didn't have "Self Government".