Sir (Reginald Stephen) Garfield Todd (1908-2002) was born in New Zealand, attended Otago University and was ordained as a minister in 1931. In 1932 he married (Jean) Grace Wilson (1912-2001). They had three daughters. The Todds travelled to Southern Rhodesia as missionaries in 1934 and were based at Mashoko and then Dadaya missions where they ran a clinic and pioneered African education.

Todd was elected to parliament in 1946. He was elected leader of the United Party in 1953, thereby becoming prime minister of Southern Rhodesia, and remained in office until 1958. An advocate of 'no independence before majority rule' Todd was detained on the eve of UDI in 1965 and underwent further detentions and restrictions during the 1970s, being seen as a focus for opposition to the government. Following independence in 1980 Todd served as a senator for five years.

For a fuller biography, see the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.