UTech, Jamaica 60th Anniversary Newspaper Supplement

Special Advertisement 8 THE DAILY OBSERVER SUNDAY JULY 22, 2018 twitter.com/jamaicaobserver www.jamaicaobserver.com In the early 1950s a bill was enacted in the House of Representatives for the establishment of the KingstonTechnicalCollege, a college providing studies, training and research in the teaching and practice of Arts, Science, Commerce and Technology. The Ministry of Education recruited Scotsman, and Electrical Engineer Mr. Alistair G. Thompson to be principal of Kingston Technical College and was also given the mandate to lay the foundations of the long-planned technical college. In 1957 Mr. Thompson was instrumental in obtaining portions of the vacant lands and derelict buildings once occupied by the Jamaica School of Agriculture (JSA) at HopeGardens, Papine. The existing JSA buildings were repaired and readied for a limited opening in September 1957. The college however, did not open until March 1958 with a staff of some seven lectures and about fifty students. From The Jamaica Institute of Technology to C.A.S.T. Shortly after the College opened in 1958 the Ministry of Education announced a change of name from Kingston Technical College to the Jamaica Institute of Technology. Principal, Mr. Alistair Thompson resigned and returned to the UK. After his departure, Mr. F.W. Needham an Englishman became Administrator for a year prior to the appointment of a new principal. The new Principal was Mr. Hugh Falkner, an Englishman who had been principal of CroydonTechnicalCollege in England for some years. He served in that post until 1965. A Provisional Board chaired by Mr. Sydney Martin was appointed by the Ministry of Education to guide the academic life of the Institute. The name of the institution was changed to College of Arts, Science and Technology in 1959. Mr. Cecil Wint, succeeded Mr. Falkner as Principal in 1965. He was the first Jamaican-born principal of the institution. He remained in the post for four years and was instrumental in implementing a World Bank sponsored building expansion programme planned by the previous regime. Mr. Bernard Towlson, succeeded Cecil Wint as acting principal for one year. Dr. Alfred Sangster succeeded Mr. Towlson in 1962. Prior to Dr. Sangster’s appointment as Principal, he was a senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Natural Science at the University of the West Indies, Mona where he had worked for eighteen years. After 37 years as a premier polytechnic college in the region, CAST was accorded University status on September 1, 1995 under the name, University of Technology, Jamaica. Successive Presidents have been Dr. the Hon. Rae Davis, OJ who served from August 1996 – December 2006; Professor the Hon. Errol Morrison, OJ who led the University from March 2007 to February 2015. Fourth President, Prof. Stephen Vasciannie, CD took up office as President since January 1, 2017. Prior to that period Ambassador the Honourable Burchell Whiteman, OJ served as Acting President during the period June 2014 to July 2015 and current Deputy President, Prof. Colin Gyles acted as President during period August 2015 to December 2017. Brief History The Barn and Silos The Hope Farm School in the 1900s ( Photo: T.P. Lecky’s Cattle and I: an autobiography courtesy of Dr. Hazel Bennett – Executor) Then Prime Minister, P.J Patterson unveils the University of Technology, Jamaica headstone in 1995. Looking on (from left) are Dr. Blossom O’Meally-Nelson, then Pro-Chancellor, Ambassador the Hon. Burchell Whiteman, OJ then Minister of Education, Sir Alister McIntyre, then Principal, University of the West Indies (Mona) and others participate in the historic occasion. A view of the well-known Lillian’s Restaurant which provides hands-on training for School of Hospitality and Tourism Management students in the areas of dining-room service management and a la carte preparation. The building was declared a national monument by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust (JNHT) in 2010.