Sir Frank Leslie Walcott, KA,

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(16 September 1916 – 24 February 1999) was a Barbadian

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

ist,

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

and one of the eleven

National Heroes of Barbados The Order of National Heroes is the supreme honour within the national honours system of Barbados and was established by the Order of National Heroes Act 1998 by the Parliament of Barbados. Members are referred to as National Heroes, and are ...

. He played a key role in organizing the Barbados labour movement and was a major figure in stimulating participation in the nation's political process. Frank Walcott was born in

Saint Peter Saint Peter (born Shimon Bar Yonah; 1 BC – AD 64/68), also known as Peter the Apostle, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas, was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus and one of the first leaders of the Jewish Christian#Jerusalem ekklēsia, e ...

, and his policeman father died when Walcott was very young. He was raised in

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Barbados. Formerly The Town of Saint Michael, the Greater Bridgetown area is located within the Parishes of Barbados, parish of Saint Michael, Barbados, Saint Mic ...

, where he attended Wesley Hall Boys' Secondary School, excelling in mathematics and debate from an early age. Becoming an active unionist in his mid-twenties, Walcott served the

Barbados Workers' Union The Barbados Workers' Union is a national trade union in Barbados. It has 25,000 members and represents them directly, negotiating with individual companies in each sector. Its membership covers all areas of employment in Barbados: agriculture, to ...

for over fifty years. He also served three separate terms as president of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, as well as serving in the Governing Body of the

International Labour Organization The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a United Nations agency whose mandate is to advance social and economic justice by setting international labour standards. Founded in October 1919 under the League of Nations, it is one of the firs ...

and as Vice-President of the Executive Board of the

International Confederation of Free Trade Unions The International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) was an international trade union. It came into being on 7 December 1949 following a split within the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU), and was dissolved on 31 October 2006 whe ...

. In addition to these posts, Walcott also served with the American Institute for Free Labour Development and was Chairman of the World Employment Conference. In politics, Walcott served as a Member of Parliament in the

Barbados House of Assembly The House of Assembly of Barbados is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Barbados. It has 30 Members of Parliament (MPs), who are directly elected in single member constituencies using the simple-majority (or first-past-the-post) sy ...

, from 1945 to 1966 and again from 1971 to 1976. He sat first as a member of the liberal

Barbados Labour Party The Barbados Labour Party (BLP), colloquially known as the "Bees", is a social democratic political party in Barbados established in 1938. It has been in power in 1954–1961, 1976–1986, 1994–2008, and 2018–present. The BLP has been the go ...

, but broke away from the party over its conservative beliefs to help establish the Democratic Labour Party in its movement towards independence and was a critical figure in its union and trade leanings. During the time between these terms he served as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

, and was President of that body from 1986 to 1991. After Barbados gained its independence in 1966, Walcott served as the nation's first

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...

to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. He was appointed an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

(OBE) in the 1954

Queen's Birthday Honours The Birthday Honours, in some Commonwealth realms, mark the King's Official Birthday, reigning monarch's official birthday in each realm by granting various individuals appointment into Order (honour), national or Dynastic order of knighthood, dy ...

. In 1987 Walcott was conferred the highest honour in Barbados; he was made a

Knight of St. Andrew The Order of Barbados is a national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados. History The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980. With Barbados becoming a republic on 30 November 20 ...

(KA) of the

Order of Barbados The Order of Barbados is a Order (distinction), national Order of honours and decorations for Barbados. History The first Order of Barbados was instituted by Queen Elizabeth II by letters patent dated 25 July 1980. With Barbados becoming a republ ...

. The Sir Frank Walcott building in

Saint Michael, Barbados The parish of St. Michael is one of eleven parishes of Barbados. It has a land area of and is found at the southwest portion of the island. Saint Michael has survived by name as one of the original six parishes created in 1629 by Governor Sir Wil ...

, is named in his honour. Walcott is also noted for having been an exceptional

cricket umpire In cricket, an umpire (from the Old French meaning not a peer, i.e. not a member of one of the teams, impartial) is a person who has the authority to make decisions about events on the cricket field according to the ''Laws of Cricket''. Besides ...

References

Biography from Government of BarbadosBiography from the Democratic Labour Party

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Walcott, Frank Leslie 1916 births 1999 deaths 20th-century Barbadian people Officers of the Order of the British Empire Barbadian trade union leaders Members of the Senate of Barbados Presidents of the Senate of Barbados Caribbean Congress of Labour Barbadian cricket umpires Barbadian knights Barbadian appointees to the Order of the British Empire People from Bridgetown Permanent representatives of Barbados to the United Nations Democratic Labour Party (Barbados) politicians Members of the House of Assembly of Barbados Knights and Dames of St Andrew (Barbados) People from Saint Peter, Barbados