Carleton Williams CBE, was born in 1929, the second of eight children, to humble beginnings. After receiving his secondary education at Government High School he began employment with the Government of The Bahamas at the Treasury Department where he learnt the fundamentals of accounting and finance. Mr. Williams transitioned easily into the private sector, taking a position at Navios Corporation, a subsidiary of the United States Steel Corporation. He later tested his business acumen, becoming an entrepreneur in 1964 as a contractor for a housing development. From there he expanded his business to include retailing building supplies, and later expanded into fast-food when he introduced McDonald’s to The Bahamas. The manufacturing sector was Mr. Williams’ next undertaking with the purchase of Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producer of Coca-Cola products. With his reputation as a strong business man, he was invited to serve on several prestigious boards, including but not limited to New Providence Development Company Ltd., the Central Bank of The Bahamas, and Automotive Industrial Distributors Ltd. Recognizing the importance of giving back he also served as a Member of the Board for local charities such as the Salvation Army and The Crippled Children’s Committee. Committed to education, at age 50 Williams earned his MBA from the University of Miami. In 2016 at the age of 87, Mr. Carlton Williams CBE resigned as the Chairman of the Board for Caribbean Bottling Company, and in honor of his outstanding contributions to both industry and The Bahamas, the Carleton Williams Caribbean Bottling Company Scholarship was created.
Mr. Carleton Williams CBE Awards Include:
- Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) awarded by Her Majesty the Queen of England
- Businessman of the Year – Chamber of Commerce
- Paul Harris Fellow – The Rotary Club
- Salvation Army Others Award
2020 Award recipient:
- Angela Sands
2019 Award recipient:
- Gabriel Hall
2018 Award recipients:
- Kennedi Knowles & Anajah Culmer
2017 Award recipient:
- K. Kaiya Pinder
2016 Award recipients:
- D’Ron & T’Ron Strapp
Each year a child from either Garvin Tynes Primary School* in New Providence or public primary school in Grand Bahama will be award a full six-year academic scholarship to the private school of their choosing. The award will cover all tuition charges from one of the following schools:
- New Providence:
- Queen’s College
- Aquinas College
- St. Anne’s High School
- Freeport:
- Bishop Michael Eldon High School
- Grand Bahama Catholic High
- Sunland Baptist Academy
- Tabernacle Baptist Christian Academy
**List maybe subjected to change.
Program Criteria:
Successful candidates must be:
- Bahamian citizen
- Graduating from 6th grade at a Bahamian Government Primary School in New Providence or Grand Bahama (for New Providence only students from Garvin Tynes Primary* will be considered) during the intake year.
- In need of financial assistance
- Student must have a 3.0 GPA or above
- Student must show evidence of involvement in community and extra-curricular activities
- Student must be able to attend the required candidate interviews
Pre-Submission Criteria:
- Students must sit and pass the Fall entrance exams for the participating Private School they wish to attend
- Students must submit their private school acceptance letter along with their application
- New Providence ONLY: