Nov. 1, 2002 – Wesley S. Williams Jr., a Washington, D.C., attorney and co-chief executive officer of St. Thomas-based Lockhart Caribbean Corp., will be inducted as a knight of grace into the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller.
The induction will take place on Saturday at the National Cathedral in Washington. The Duke of Gloucester will knight Williams on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II and the Governors of the American Priory.
The Order of St. John supports service to the poor and underprivileged. Williams is being inducted into the order in recognition of his public service activities.
Williams was recently named chair of the Richmond, Virginia, Federal Reserve Bank for 2003. He is married to Karen Hastie Williams, daughter of Beryl Lockhart Williams and former Gov. William Hastie, who later served as a judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals.
The Order of St. John was founded in 1831 by the French Knights of Malta. Today, it is based in London, where the Queen is its head. Its American branch has more than 600 members, including 66 knights and 56 dames.
The members' major work is to raise money for an ophthalmic hospital in Jerusalem. The 80-bed hospital mainly provides eye care services to Palestinians living in territories occupied by Israel who are not eligible for free Israeli medical or hospital care.
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