John Wrathall

Infobox Officeholder
honorific-prefix =The Hon.
name = John Wrathall
honorific-suffix =GCLM, ID

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imagesize =
small

caption =John James Wrathall
order =2nd
office = President of Rhodesia
term_start = 14 January, 1976
term_end = 31 August, 1978
vicepresident =
viceprimeminister =
deputy =
lieutenant =
monarch =
president =
primeminister = Ian Smith
governor =
governor-general =
governor_general =
succeeding =
predecessor = Clifford Dupont
successor = Henry Everard (Acting)
constituency =
majority =
order2 =
office2 = Minister of African Education
term_start2 = 1963
term_end2 = 1964
vicepresident2 =
viceprimeminister2 =
deputy2 =
lieutenant2 =
monarch2 =
president2 =
primeminister2 =Ian Smith
governor2 =
succeeding2 =
predecessor2 = Jack Howman
successor2 = Post abolished
constituency2 =
majority2 =
order3 =
office3 =Minister of Finance
term_start3 =1964
term_end3 =1976
vicepresident3 =
viceprimeminister3 =
deputy3 =
lieutenant3 =
monarch3 =
president3 =
primeminister3 =Ian Smith
governor3 =
succeeding3 =
predecessor3 =Ian Smith
successor3 =David Smith
constituency3 =
majority3 =
order4 =
office4 = Minister of Posts
term_start4 =1964
term_end4 =1973
vicepresident4 =
viceprimeminister4 =
deputy4 =
lieutenant4 =
monarch4 =
president4 =
primeminister4 =Ian Smith
governor4 =
succeeding4 =
predecessor4 =Ian Smith
successor4 =Roger Hawkins
constituency4 =
majority4 =
birth_date = August 28, 1913
birth_place = Lancaster, United Kingdom
death_date = August 31, 1978
death_place = Rhodesia
nationality =
party = Rhodesian Front
spouse =
relations =
children =
residence =
alma_mater = Lancaster Royal Grammar School
occupation =
profession = Chartered Accountant
religion =


website =
footnotes =

John James Wrathall (August 28, 1913 – August 31, 1978) was a Rhodesian politician. He was the last white President of Rhodesia (later holders of the post were only acting as such). He formerly worked as an accountant.

Early life

Wrathall was born in Lancaster, England and went to Lancaster Royal Grammar School. He never forgot his Lancashire background and was president of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Society in Rhodesia. He qualified as a chartered accountant in 1935, and emigrated to Southern Rhodesia the next year. He worked for the Southern Rhodesian government in its income tax department for the next ten years.

Rhodesian career

In 1946 Wrathall set up in private practice as an accountant in Bulawayo and also became involved in politics. In 1949 he was elected to Bulawayo City Council, where he served for a decade. Wrathall was elected to the Legislative Assembly for Bulawayo South in the 1954 general election, as a member of the United Rhodesia Party then led by Garfield Todd. He stood down after one term in 1958.

Ministerial office

By 1962 Wrathall was no longer a supporter of the United Federal Party and became a founder member of the Rhodesian Front under Winston Field. He was elected in Bulawayo North in the December 1962 election under the RF banner. As one of the most experienced members, in October 1963 he was made Minister of African Education. A month later he also took on the Ministry of Health, which was being transferred from the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland on its demise at the end of 1963.

Wrathall was among the members of the Rhodesian Front who deposed Winston Field and instead installed Ian Smith as Prime Minister in April 1964. Smith promoted him to be Minister of Finance and of Posts. As such, he was one of the signatories to the UDI on 11 November, 1965. He was Deputy Prime Minister from September 7, 1966. He was known as the quiet man of Rhodesian politics, but was a key figure in the secret struggle aginst United Nations sanctions imposed after UDI.

In 1975 he presented his 12th (and last) consecutive Budget as Rhodesia's longest serving Finance Minister. He struck a low-key on racial issues and was recognised as a moderating influence in Ian Smith's Cabinet which had several headstrong characters such as Desmond Larner-Burke and P.K. van der Byl.

Presidency

In July 1973 Wrathall ceded his responsibility as Minister of Posts and in the 1974 general election he stood down from the House of Assembly and transferred to the Senate. On January 14, 1976 he was sworn in as the second President of Rhodesia, succeeding Clifford Dupont. He served for two and a half years, and died in office. He was said to have died of heart failure in his sleep though some thought he had committed suicide.

References

*"Mr John Wrathall: President of Rhodesia" (Obituary), "The Times", September 1, 1978
*F.M.G. Willson and G.C. Passmore, "Holders of Administrative and Ministerial Office 1894-1964" (University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury, Rhodesia, 1966)

Persondata
NAME = Wrathall, John
ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
SHORT DESCRIPTION = President of Rhodesia
DATE OF BIRTH = August 28, 1913
PLACE OF BIRTH = Lancaster England
DATE OF DEATH = August 31, 1978
PLACE OF DEATH = Rhodesia