NORMAN WASHINGTON MANLEY
By Michael Alexander
Caricom Regional Youth Ambassador
Regional Youth Ambassador Program
cryap2002@hotmail.com
http://www.caricom.org
Newsday
July 15, 2002
Page 28
Norman Washington Manley was born at Roxborough in Manchester Jamaica in 1893.
He was educated at Beckford and Smith High School, Wolmer's and Jamaica College. In 1914 he was awarded the Rhodes scholarship to attend Oxford University in England.
He enlisted as a gunner in the Royal Artillery and was promoted to corporal. He was awarded the Military Medal and survived World War I, but suffered the loss of his brother, Roy. In the late 1930s strikes were becoming more frequent as labourers asked for increased wages. To this end, in 1937 Manley formed what is now known as the Social Development Commission to help people in the rural areas.
Norman Manley was the first president of the People's national Party. The PNP contested the first General Election in 1944 but lost to the JLP. Manley was elected premier in the General Election of 1955. Three years later, Jamaica became a founding member of the West Indies federation, ten West Indian nations joined together to try to put right some common problems. However in 1961 at a referendum held by Manley the people decided to leave the federation. Manley retired from politics in 1969. He is remembered for his role in the establishment of Jamaica's Central Bank (The Bank of Jamaica), the Jamaica National Heritage Trust, the Co-operative Movement as well as Jamaica Welfare, now the Social Development Commission. He died later that year.