Hugh Shearer
Encyclopedia
Hugh Lawson Shearer, ON
, OJ
, PC (May 18, 1923 – July 5, 2004) was the third Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1967 to 1972.
Born in Martha Brae, Trelawny Parish
, Jamaica
, near the sugar
and banana
growing areas, Shearer attended St Simon's College after winning a parish scholarship to the school.
In 1941 he took a job on the staff of a weekly trade union
newspaper, the Jamaican Worker. His first political promotion came in 1943, when Sir Alexander Bustamante
(founder of the Jamaican Labour Party) took over editorship of the paper and took Shearer under his wing. Shearer continued to get promotion after promotion within the union and acquired a Government Trade Union scholarship in 1947.
He was appointed Island Supervisor of Bustamante's trade union, BITU, and shortly afterwards elected Vice President of the union.
Shearer was elected to the House of Representatives of Jamaica as member for Western Kingston
in 1955, an office he retained for the next four years until he was defeated in the 1959 elections.
He was a member of the Senate from 1962 to 1967, at the same time filling the role of Jamaica's chief spokesman on foreign affairs as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United Nations
. In 1967 he was elected as member for Southern Clarendon
and, after the death of Sir Donald Sangster
, appointed Prime Minister on April 11, 1967.
Thanks to his work with the Jamaican Worker earlier in his life, Shearer managed to stay on generally good terms with the Jamaican working class
, and was generally well liked by the populace. However, he did cause an outcry of anger in October 1968 when his government banned the historian, Walter Rodney
from re-entering the country. On October 16 a series of riots, known as the Rodney Riots
broke out, after peaceful protest by students from the University of the West Indies
campus at Mona, was suppressed by police; rioting spreading throughout Kingston. Shearer stood by the ban claiming that Rodney was a danger to Jamaica, citing his socialist ties, trips to Cuba
and the USSR, as well as his radical Black nationalism
.
Shearer was generally uncomfortable with notions of pan-Africanism
or militant black nationalism. He was also insecure about the stability of newly independent Jamaica in the late 1960s.
His term as Prime Minister was a prosperous one for Jamaica, with three new alumina refineries were built, along with three large tourist
resort
s. These six buildings formed the basis of Jamaica's mining and tourism industries, the two biggest earners for the country.
Shearer's term was also marked by a great upswing in secondary school enrollment after an intense education campaign on his part. Fifty new schools were constructed.
It was by pressure from Shearer that the Law of the Sea
Authority chose Kingston to house its headquarters.
In the 1972 elections, the JLP was defeated and the People's National Party
leader, Michael Manley
, became Prime Minister. Between 1980 and 1989, during the prime ministership of Edward Seaga
, who had succeeded him as leader of the JLP in 1974, Shearer was deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
He died at his home in Kingston on July 5, 2004, at the age of 81. The Most Honourable Hugh Lawson Shearer was survived by his wife, the Most Hon. Dr. Denise Eldemire Shearer, sons Corey Alexander, Howard, Lance and Donald, and daughters Hope, Hilary, Heather, Mischka Garel, and Ana Margaret Sanchez.
On May 14, 2009, the Bank of Jamaica
announced a plan to issue a JA$5000 note with the likeness of Shearer on it. It is expected to be explained in detail Monday May 18, 2009 by the Governor of Jamaica's Central Bank Derick Milton Latibeaudiere
.
The $5,000 bill with Hugh Shearer's portrait was put in circulation on September 24, 2009.
Order of the Nation
The Order of the Nation is a Jamaican honour. It is a part of the Jamaican honours system and was instituted in 1973 as the second highest honour in the country–the Order of National Hero being the highest....
, OJ
Order of Jamaica
The Order of Jamaica is the fourth of the five ranks in the Jamaican honours system. The Order was established in 1969, and is considered the equivalent of knighthood in the British honours system....
, PC (May 18, 1923 – July 5, 2004) was the third Prime Minister of Jamaica, from 1967 to 1972.
Born in Martha Brae, Trelawny Parish
Trelawny Parish, Jamaica
Trelawny is a parish in Cornwall County in northwest Jamaica. Its capital is Falmouth. It is bordered by the parishes of Saint Ann in the east, Saint James in the west, and Saint Elizabeth and Manchester in the south.-History:...
, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, near the sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and banana
Banana
Banana is the common name for herbaceous plants of the genus Musa and for the fruit they produce. Bananas come in a variety of sizes and colors when ripe, including yellow, purple, and red....
growing areas, Shearer attended St Simon's College after winning a parish scholarship to the school.
In 1941 he took a job on the staff of a weekly trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
newspaper, the Jamaican Worker. His first political promotion came in 1943, when Sir Alexander Bustamante
Alexander Bustamante
Sir William Alexander Clarke Bustamante GBE, National Hero of Jamaica was a Jamaican politician and labour leader....
(founder of the Jamaican Labour Party) took over editorship of the paper and took Shearer under his wing. Shearer continued to get promotion after promotion within the union and acquired a Government Trade Union scholarship in 1947.
He was appointed Island Supervisor of Bustamante's trade union, BITU, and shortly afterwards elected Vice President of the union.
Shearer was elected to the House of Representatives of Jamaica as member for Western Kingston
Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...
in 1955, an office he retained for the next four years until he was defeated in the 1959 elections.
He was a member of the Senate from 1962 to 1967, at the same time filling the role of Jamaica's chief spokesman on foreign affairs as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. In 1967 he was elected as member for Southern Clarendon
Clarendon Parish, Jamaica
Clarendon is a parish in Jamaica. It is located on the south of the island, roughly half-way between the island's eastern and western ends...
and, after the death of Sir Donald Sangster
Donald Sangster
Sir Donald Burns Sangster was a Jamaican politician and the second Prime Minister of Jamaica. He entered politics in 1933 at the age of 21 with his election to the council of the Parish of St Elizabeth, Jamaica...
, appointed Prime Minister on April 11, 1967.
Working class
Working class is a term used in the social sciences and in ordinary conversation to describe those employed in lower tier jobs , often extending to those in unemployment or otherwise possessing below-average incomes...
, and was generally well liked by the populace. However, he did cause an outcry of anger in October 1968 when his government banned the historian, Walter Rodney
Walter Rodney
Walter Rodney was a prominent Guyanese historian and political activist, who was assassinated in Guyana in 1980.-Career:...
from re-entering the country. On October 16 a series of riots, known as the Rodney Riots
Rodney Riots
The Rodney Riots were riots and civil disturbances in Kingston, Jamaica in October 1968.The riots were inspired when the Jamaican government of Hugh Shearer banned Guyanese university lecturer Dr. Walter Rodney from returning to his teaching position at the University of the West Indies...
broke out, after peaceful protest by students from the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
campus at Mona, was suppressed by police; rioting spreading throughout Kingston. Shearer stood by the ban claiming that Rodney was a danger to Jamaica, citing his socialist ties, trips to Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
and the USSR, as well as his radical Black nationalism
Black nationalism
Black nationalism advocates a racial definition of indigenous national identity, as opposed to multiculturalism. There are different indigenous nationalist philosophies but the principles of all African nationalist ideologies are unity, and self-determination or independence from European society...
.
Shearer was generally uncomfortable with notions of pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism
Pan-Africanism is a movement that seeks to unify African people or people living in Africa, into a "one African community". Differing types of Pan-Africanism seek different levels of economic, racial, social, or political unity...
or militant black nationalism. He was also insecure about the stability of newly independent Jamaica in the late 1960s.
His term as Prime Minister was a prosperous one for Jamaica, with three new alumina refineries were built, along with three large tourist
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
s. These six buildings formed the basis of Jamaica's mining and tourism industries, the two biggest earners for the country.
Shearer's term was also marked by a great upswing in secondary school enrollment after an intense education campaign on his part. Fifty new schools were constructed.
It was by pressure from Shearer that the Law of the Sea
Law of the sea
Law of the sea may refer to:* United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea* Admiralty law* The Custom of the Sea...
Authority chose Kingston to house its headquarters.
In the 1972 elections, the JLP was defeated and the People's National Party
People's National Party
The People's National Party is a social democratic and social liberal Jamaican political party, founded by Norman Manley in 1938. It is the oldest political party in the Anglophone Caribbean and one of the main two political parties in Jamaica. Out of the two major parties, it is considered more...
leader, Michael Manley
Michael Manley
Michael Norman Manley ON OCC was the fourth Prime Minister of Jamaica . Manley was a democratic socialist....
, became Prime Minister. Between 1980 and 1989, during the prime ministership of Edward Seaga
Edward Seaga
Edward Philip George Seaga ON PC was the fifth Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1980 to 1989 and Leader of the Jamaica Labour Party from 1974 to 2005. He served as leader of the opposition from 1974 to 1980 and again from 1989 until January 2005...
, who had succeeded him as leader of the JLP in 1974, Shearer was deputy prime minister and minister of foreign affairs.
He died at his home in Kingston on July 5, 2004, at the age of 81. The Most Honourable Hugh Lawson Shearer was survived by his wife, the Most Hon. Dr. Denise Eldemire Shearer, sons Corey Alexander, Howard, Lance and Donald, and daughters Hope, Hilary, Heather, Mischka Garel, and Ana Margaret Sanchez.
On May 14, 2009, the Bank of Jamaica
Bank of Jamaica
The Bank of Jamaica is the central bank of Jamaica located in Kingston. It was established by the and was opened on May 1, 1961.It is responsible for the monetary policy of Jamaica on the instruction of the Minister of Finance.- History :...
announced a plan to issue a JA$5000 note with the likeness of Shearer on it. It is expected to be explained in detail Monday May 18, 2009 by the Governor of Jamaica's Central Bank Derick Milton Latibeaudiere
Derick Milton Latibeaudiere
Hon. Derick Milton Latibeaudiere, OJ was Governor of Jamaica's central bank, the Bank of Jamaica who took office as Governor of the bank on the 1st April 1996 and is the first member of the Bank' s staff to have been appointed to this position. Mr...
.
Sources
- Neita, Hartley 2005. Hugh Shearer; A Voice for the People. Kingston, Jamaica: Ian Randle Publishers, The Institute of Jamaica.
- Senior, Olive 2003. Encyclopaedia of Jamaican Heritage.
- Image ref : http://www.jis.gov.jm/special%5Fsections/Shearer/
The $5,000 bill with Hugh Shearer's portrait was put in circulation on September 24, 2009.