Sir John George Melvin Compton, (29 April 1925 – 7 September 2007) was a
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. Part of the Windward Islands of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines), Saint Vincent ...
n politician who became the first
prime minister
A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...
upon independence in February 1979. Having led Saint Lucia under
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies.
* British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...
rule from 1964 to 1979, Compton served as prime minister three times: briefly in 1979, again from 1982 to 1996, and from 2006 until his death in 2007. He cofounded the
conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...
United Workers Party (UWP) in 1964; he led the party until 1996, again from 1998 to 2000, and again from 2005 to 2007.
Early life and education
Compton was born on 29 April 1925 in
Canouan,
St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
[CV]
at government website.[Albert Brandford]
"People's servant to the end"
, nationnews.com, 9 September 2007. In September 1939, he was taken to Saint Lucia.
at government website. While studying law and economics, Compton attended the
University College of Wales
Aberystwyth University () is a Public university, public Research university, research university in Aberystwyth, Wales. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal University of Wales. The university has over 8,000 stude ...
from 1948 to 1949 and the
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...
from 1949 to 1951;
[ he was called to the Bar on 7 August 1951.][
]
Political career
Beginnings
Compton entered politics in 1954
Events
January
* January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting.
* January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, successfully running for the Micoud/ Dennery seat on the Saint Lucia Executive Council as an independent. He became the Council Member for Social Affairs in 1955,1957
Events January
* January 1 – The Saarland joins West Germany.
* January 3 – Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
* January 5 – South African player Russell Endean becomes the first batsman to be Dismissal (cricke ...
,[
]
Administration under British rule, 1964–1979
In office, Compton worked for Saint Lucia's independence from British rule.[ When Saint Lucia became an ]Associated State
An associated state is the minor partner or dependent territory in a formal, free relationship between a political territory (some of them dependent states, most of them fully sovereign) and a major party—usually a larger state.
The details ...
of the United Kingdom on 1 March 1967, a move that placed the Saint Lucian government fully in charge of the island's internal affairs, Compton became St. Lucia's first and only Premier.["Constitutional development"]
, Saint Lucian government website. At the conference from April to May 1966 that led to this change,[ Compton sharply criticized the British government for excluding certain issues, and accused it of favoring "second-class citizenship for people of another color".][
Following the UWP's victory in the 1974 election, Compton pushed for negotiations leading to independence,][ which was achieved on 22 February 1979; Compton became the newly independent nation's first Prime Minister.][
]
As Prime Minister and in opposition, 1979–1996
A few months after independence in 1979, the UWP was defeated in an election by the SLP, and Compton became Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is a title traditionally held by the leader of the Opposition (parliamentary), largest political party not in government, typical in countries utilizing the parliamentary system form of government. The leader of the ...
.[
In office, Compton's policies were conservative, pro-Western and anti-communist. He also worked for increased regional integration: upon leaving office in 1996, he voiced disappointment that the region's population remained a "divided people scattered over the Caribbean Sea".][
]
After 1996
He was re-elected as the leader of UWP in 1998, however, he was replaced as leader by Morella Joseph in 2000.[Rickey Singh]
"Upset in St Lucia"
''Jamaica Observer'', 12 December 2007. He was elected to the seat from Micoud North over SLP candidate Silas Wilson.
Illness and death
On 1 May 2007, Compton was hospitalized in New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
after suffering a series of strokes. He fell ill while visiting a doctor for a normal checkup.
On 16 May, Sports Minister Leonard Montoute, who was also the deputy leader of the United Workers Party, announced that Compton was unable to stand or walk on his own, and that the cabinet was preparing to select a successor.
Compton returned to Saint Lucia on 19 May. He temporarily resumed power in early June to oversee a cabinet reshuffle, in which he remained Prime Minister but gave up the finance portfolio to Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King. King said on 8 June that Compton's condition was improving. On 11 July, he attended a meeting with several cabinet ministers, the first time he had done so since the strokes.
In late July, it was announced that Compton would resign by the end of 2007. On 26 August, Compton was admitted to the Tapion Hospital in Castries because he was having trouble breathing["Sir John flies to Martinique for medical aid"]
, cbc.bb, 1 September 2007. due to pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
.[Kurt Reynolds]
"Finally, Sir John's doctors speak!"
''St. Lucia Star'', 10 September 2007. While there, it was learned that he had suffered another stroke while recovering from the previous strokes.Martinique
Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
for treatment["Address to the Nation By Acting Prime Minister Honourable Stephenson King on The Passing of Sir John Compton September 8, 2007"]
, Saint Lucian government website. of his pneumonia.[ While there, his condition worsened and he was placed on a ]ventilator
A ventilator is a type of breathing apparatus, a class of medical technology that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathi ...
. On 4 September, doctors decided that his condition was hopeless; on 5 September, he was returned to the Tapion Hospital in Saint Lucia to die.[ He died there on 7 September 2007.][ Acting Prime Minister King declared two weeks of mourning, beginning on 8 September.][
A state funeral was held for Compton in Castries, at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, on 18 September. Despite Compton's ]Anglican
Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...
faith, the local Catholic church was used due to the large number of mourners and at the request of Sir John. The funeral services held in Micoud on 16 September and at the Minor Basilica on 18 September were in keeping with the requests of Sir John for his funeral service, including the hymns which were specifically requested by him. He was cremated on 19 September and his ashes spread in the Troumasse River at his estate in Mahaut upon his request.
The John Compton Dam in central Saint Lucia was renamed in his honor.
Personal life and family
In 1967. he married Janice Barbara Clarke the daughter of Saint Lucia's first Saint Lucian-born Governor, Sir Frederick Clarke. Out of this union, five children were born.
Compton's daughter Jeannine Compton-Antoine, a marine biologist, is director of the Saint Lucia National Trust, having previously followed her fathers footsteps into politics. In a by-election held on 26 November 2007, she won John Compton's constituency of Micoud North. Daughter Fiona Compton is a Caribbean historian, artist and photographer who graduated from London College of Printing
The London College of Communication is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London. Its origins are in education for the printing and retail industries; it now specialises in media-related subjects including advertising, animation ...
in 2005 with a BA in photography. She has worked for different UK publishing houses. Daughter Nina Compton is a James Beard Award
The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media awar ...
-winning chef in the U.S., and television personality. In 2013, she participated in season 11 of the American reality cooking show '' Top Chef'', where she was the runner-up and was voted the "fan favorite".
See also
* Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
* United Workers Party
* John Compton Dam
References
External links
Office of the Prime Minister of Saint LuciaObituary, ''The Times'', 10 September 2007
*Biography available i
Prime Ministers of Saint Lucia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Compton, John
1925 births
2007 deaths
Members of the House of Assembly of Saint Lucia
Alumni of Aberystwyth University
Alumni of the London School of Economics
Prime ministers of Saint Lucia
Ministers of finance of Saint Lucia
Ministers of foreign affairs of Saint Lucia
Recipients of the Order of the Caribbean Community
People from Canouan
Immigrants to Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines emigrants
United Workers Party (Saint Lucia) politicians
Knights_Commander_of_the_Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George