Paul Scoon
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Sir Paul Scoon (b. 4 July 1935) was Governor General of Grenada for 14 years, from 1978 to 1992.
Maurice Bishop overthrew Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy in 1979, shortly after Scoon was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as Governor-General.
Scoon was arrested by the new Marxist government. However he was later released and Bishop and Scoon managed to maintain a semi-normal working relationship, despite the fact that Scoon strongly opposed Bishop's unorthodox government. He chose to remain in office to provide a degree of normalcy for the situation, rather than resign and accept the triumph of the coup-leaders.
When Bishop was in turn deposed, Scoon was once again imprisoned, this time by Dr Bernard Coard.
Operation Urgent Fury was launched by US forces in 1983 and deposed the radical elements which had assumed control of the Government. Although the United States stated that Scoon had invited the American forces to enter Grenada to restore order - and to rescue him. The accuracy of this assertion has been questioned, given that Scoon was being held under house arrest and might not have been able to communicate with the outside world. One of the first steps of the invading forces was to free Scoon.
Though constitutionally able to assume full power during this leadership vacuum, Scoon instead used his authority to appoint Nicholas Brathwaite as acting head of government until post-invasion elections could be held. Scoon retired from his post in 1992.
Scoon published a book entitled "Survival for Service" that documents and provides a personal account of his experiences as Governor General of Grenada.
Preceded by Leo de Gale |
Governor-General of Grenada 1978–1992 |
Succeeded by Sir Reginald Palmer |