Stanley Nibbs BEM (7 June 1914 – 16 January 1985) was an instructor and preacher on the island of

Tortola Tortola () is the largest and most populated island of the British Virgin Islands, a group of islands that form part of the archipelago of the Virgin Islands. It has a surface area of with a total population of 23,908, with 9,400 residents in ...

in the

British Virgin Islands ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = Territorial song , song = "Oh, Beautiful Virgin Islands" , image_map = File:British Virgin Islands on the globe (Americas centered).svg , map_caption = , mapsize = 290px , image_map2 = Brit ...

(BVI). His educational service to the islands was recognized with his awarding of the British Empire Medal in 1968, and, in 1993, by the issue of a postage stamp, making him one of the first black citizens to appear on a BVI stamp.

Biography

Stanley Nibbs was born in

in the

on 7 June 1914. He worked as teacher for the British Virgin Islands first high school, whilst also travelling the islands as a Methodist preacher. He died on 16 January 1985. For over 50 years, Nibbs was the sole woodworking teacher for the British Virgin Islands Secondary School.

Honours

In the

1968 New Year Honours The New Year Honours 1968 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced in supplements to the '' Lo ...

, he was awarded the

British Empire Medal The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...

(BEM) by Queen Eliabeth II in recognition of his civil service. In 1993 a stamp was made to honour his secondary educational service. This was one of the first instances of BVI stamps honouring its black citizens. On 21 October 2014, it was announced the Virgin Islands School of Technical Studies (VISTS) would be naming a wing of their school after Stanley Nibbs for his over 50 years of scholarly service to the Virgin Islands.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nibbs, Stanley 1914 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Caribbean people People from Tortola British Virgin Islands religious leaders 20th-century Methodist ministers Black British schoolteachers Recipients of the British Empire Medal British schoolteachers British Methodist ministers 20th-century British educators 20th-century British Methodist ministers