The St Mary’s College Past Students’ Union recently hosted the sixth Induction Ceremony of the College’s Hall of Fame. Eight past students were inducted, joining the 51 others who were previously inducted since the establishment of the Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Hall of Fame was established by the CIC past Students’ Union to recognise outstanding past students and other individuals associated with the College who by their deeds of excellence, serve as exemplars to past and present students, in keeping with the motto Virtus et Scientia – Manliness and Knowledge.

Among those already inducted into the CIC Hall of Fame are, Sir Ellis Clarke, Archbishop Anthony Pantin and his brother Fr Gerry Pantin, Mr Willie Clerk, Professor Courtenay Bartholomew, Dr Harry Collymore, Captain Arthur Cipriani, Sir Gaston Johnston, Justice Michael de la Bastide, Dr Joseph Pawan, (discoverer of the rabies virus), Calypsonians Atilla the Hun (Raymond Quevedo) and Dr Hollis (Chalkdust) Liverpool and Test cricketers Clifford Roach, Edgar Achong, Willie Rodriguez and Charlie Davis.

The 2007 Induction Ceremony was attended by a host of dignitaries, including President of the Republic, Professor Max Richards, Dr. Jean Ramjohn-Richards, and Archbishop Edward Gilbert. The audience was addressed by President Richards, Archbishop Gilbert and the Principal of the College, Fr Ron Mendes.

In his address, President Richards lauded the accomplishments of the new inductees as well as those who were previously inducted. He called on the CIC Past Students’ Union to “share its heroes with the wider community, so as to speak to many others who need role models”.

Archbishop Gilbert and CIC principal, Fr. Ron Mendes, (centre, back row) and Richard Joseph, president of the Past Students' Union, (left, back row) with the inductees/representatives: Standing Richard Joseph, Wilson, Warner, Peter Phillips (son of Justice Phillips), Archbishop Gilbert, Fr. Mendes, Saunders, Butler, Pantin. Sitting Joy Worrell (daughter of CTWE Worrell) and Mariela Brown (grand-daughter of Justice Vincent Brown)

Here are excerpts of the pen portraits of those inducted in 2007:

Justice Kenneth Vincent Brown: A former magistrate and Puisne Judge who acted as Chief Justice in the 1940s, he served on a number of important commissions and committees including the Moyne Commission to look into the Butler riots.

On various occasions, he was honoured by the Crown for his outstanding legal work and was made a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George after he died in 1978.

Professor Emeritus Alan Knolly Butler: An outstanding surgeon and medical educator who has played a major role in developing the teaching of medical sciences at UWI campuses for over forty years, in the process training and mentoring hundreds of doctors from the Caribbean region.

He won an Island Scholarship in 1949 and was the top student at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in the Primary Fellowship examination. He received the Chaconia Medal Gold in 1987.

Clive Pantin: The first layman to be appointed as the Principal of Fatima College and during his twenty-four years there, he certainly made a significant contribution to that institution becoming one of the premier secondary schools in this country.

He served as a Minister of Government and after leaving politics, he established FEEL, which has become a most effective vehicle to assist in the alleviation of poverty and hunger throughout the country. He also represented T&T at both football and hockey in his youth.

Justice Clement Phillips: Described by many of his legal colleagues as arguably “the finest legal brain to have ever graced the Bench of Trinidad and Tobago”, he served as Senior Crown Counsel, High Court Judge and as a member of the Court of Appeal.

He acted as Chief Justice, but was not appointed to the position.. He won both the Jerningham Silver and Gold Medals at St Mary’s, in the process of winning the Open Island Scholarship in 1939. He was awarded the Trinity Cross in 1979.

Professor Ramsey Saunders: Throughout his career, he has always been an ‘A’ student, excelling at all levels. Previously Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at UWI, he is now the Professor and Chair of Physics there.

Many of the projects in which he was involved have led to his students earning PhDs and MPhils in areas such as Medical Physics, Solar Energy and Nanotechnology.

He won an International Man of the Year for Science in 1991 and on three occasions, he has been invited by the Nobel Committee for Physics to make nominations for the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Garrett (Gary) Warner: An academic, peace activist, refugee advocate, anti-racism crusader. He recently retired as a lecturer in Literature, French and Peace Development, at McMaster University, Canada, where he served from 1967.

At McMaster, he was also chair of Romance Languages, Associate Dean of Humanities and Director of the Arts and Science programme. He also made time to be involved in a wide range of activities, both in Canada and overseas, including working with the aid agency, CUSO.

He has received several awards, including the Royal Bank of Canada Distinguished Citizen of the Year in Hamilton in 2005, the same year the prestigious Order of Canada medal was awarded to him.

Professor Emeritus Lawrence Wilson: Internationally recognised for advancing knowledge of the physiology, agronomy and post-harvest biology of tropical root crops, he introduced many new teaching and research programmes that have led to the recognition of UWI, St. Augustine as a centre of excellence in agriculture.

He has lent his vast knowledge and experience to the world of agriculture through several important appointments and assignments, including at FAO, and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture.

CTWE Worrell: At St. Mary’s, he won the Jerningham Silver and Gold Medals and then the coveted Island Scholarship in 1912. After graduating as a lawyer, he served as a magistrate and later Assistant Law Officer (Crown Counsel), but in spite of his acknowledged legal brilliance, he was by-passed for the top positions, never rising beyond the posts of Solicitor General and Acting Attorney General.

He served as President of the Civil Service Association (now PSA) from 1943 to 1952 and successfully negotiated with the Colonial Secretary who led the Government team, for better working conditions for local Civil Servants, to bring them on par with their British counterparts.

These benefits included paid maternity leave, the Widows and Orphans Fund to provide retirement benefits and overseas travel allowances for senior Civil Servants.

He represented the King in a number of high-profile cases and is considered one of the most celebrated Crown Prosecutors in the country.