Edith Dalton James

Edith Dalton was born in 1896 in Townhead, Westmoreland. She was the daughter of John William Walcott, engineer, and Jeanette (nee Young).

EDUCATION
Young Edith attended the Townhead Elementary School, and later, Shortwood Teachers’ College where she graduated with honours. She continued her education with a Teacher’s Scholarship to England, Scotland and the United States of America between 1954 - 1955 researching in Education. In April 1919, she married S.W. James, school-teacher. The union produced one son and two daughters.

TEACHING CAREER
Young Edith began her teaching career at Cokes View, then went on to Half Way Tree (Elementary) and thence to Unity. On May 1, 1951, she became Headmistresses of Chetolah Park Elementary, a position she held until 1963, when she retired.

As a teacher, Edith enjoyed challenges and was quite prepared to initiate changes. A socially conscious individual she began Adult Literacy classes at Half Way Tree School. She realized that the growing level of racial and political consciousness of the Jamaican people could only be sustained if the people’s mind was challenged by the level of ideas pervading the society.

Edith nurtured a profound reverential respect for her alma mater, Shortwood. To her, Shortwood was the finishing school for any lady teacher of class and she gave of her best to the college becoming the President of its Old Students’ Association twice.

Edith saw herself as a model and viewed mentorship of aspiring young teachers as one of her roles. To assist young teachers as well as to improve the professional development of women teachers, she helped formed the Women’s Teachers Federation. Despite the fact that educational benefits were available to both gender, not many women teachers accessed position in public schools nor were they represented on the various boards. Edith saw in the new Federation, a means of boosting the awareness of women teachers. The Federation not only focussed on things pedagogic but also political and social matters.

Edith also served on the Board of Education, the precursor to the current Ministry of Education. She also served on several prominent national bodies and organizations:-

Member of the Education Advisory Council and Standing Committee
Member of the Adult Education Committee
Member of the Advisory Board and Selection Committee of the Moneague Training College
Member, Municipal Committee of the Maxfield Park Home
Member, Save the Children Fund Committee
Member of the Jamaica Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Member of the Jamaica Federation of Women
Member, Mass Wedding
Member, Jamaica Convalescent Society
Member, Board of Poetry League and Musical Festival
Member, Board of Governors - Jamaica College
Member, Extra Mural Department, UWI
Member, Institute Board of Teacher Education
Member, United Nations Association
Member, Library Service Committee
Member, Little Theatre Movement
Member, Human Rights Committee

POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
Edith Dalton-James a was a political fire-brand. A skilled debater, she was fully involved in issues involving women, children and the rights of the working class. Like many teachers of her time, she fervently believed that a teacher must be involved in the socio-political life of the country in order to be relevant. To this end, she was involved at every level of political life.

Even prior to the coming of Adult Suffrage in 1944, Mrs. Dalton-James was integral with the early development of the People’s National Party. Using her organizational skills she helped the fledging party to prepare for the first elections of 1944.

In this election she contested the St. Andrew Western seat.

Edith Dalton-James (PNP) 3712 (28.2%)
E.R. Dudley Evans (JLP) 6421 (48.7%)
Arthur P. Hanson (IND.) 333 (2.5%)
E.E. McLaughlin (JDP) 2131 (16.6)

She again contested the seat in the 1949 election against four candidates:

H.E.V. Brown (IND.) 20 (.9%)
E.R.D. Evans (AIP) 294 (1.3%)
E.E. McLaughlin (IND.) 474 (2.0%)
Rose Agatha Leon (JLP) 11,715 (50.5%)
Edith Dalton-James (PNP) 10,225 (44.1%)

Edith remained undaunted and vied with her arch rival, Rose Leon, in the Federal elections held in 1959. Although she did not win a seat in Parliament, she did succeed in being named to the Legislative Council in 1959 and held the position until that body was dissolved to make way for the Senate.

TEACHER ACTIVISM
Edith Dalton-James teaching career is laced with activism. From the earliest days at Shortwood she was never content with mediocrity. She had a passion for the profession and sought to ensure that the practitioners understood what it meant to be a good teacher. At Sherwood she excelled in elocution and was an ace in debate. Her sharp wit and incisive analysis of issues stood her in good stead.

Edith Dalton-James became a tireless campaigner for the teachers, becoming in 1945, a member of what was up until then a male-dominated executive. Edith and Amy Bailey were a formidable duo. Their own base in the Women Teachers’ Federation gave them not only a political base but a growing +level of respectability in a society which had not come to grips with women as a political force.

In 1948, Edith joined the officer corps as Vice President of the J.U.T. to the noted educator, E.H. Cousins, President. The galaxy was complete with stars like H. Anglin Jones, Secretary General; and C.T. Saunders, Ex-President.

The following year she succeeded to the presidency, breaking a succession of male presidents since the inauguration of the union in 1895.

During the incumbency of Mrs. Dalton-James, the dream of erecting J.U.T. Hall moved closer to reality. It was on October 29, 1948, that the executive of the union finally decided to accept the terms of contract of the firm Caribbean Contractors Company and finalized plans for obtaining loans. Construction began before year-end. It is noteworthy that Mrs. H.A. McPherson was credited with the islandwide organization of the fund-raising function to liquidate the debt incurred.

From the outset, Edith Dalton-James was bent on creating a strong monolithic union. She did not think the cause of the teacher could be served by the separate and even competitive groups representing teachers.

In 1951, during her second tenure as President, she summoned an All-Island, All-Teachers Conference to discuss the amalgamation of all the existing teachers groups. The result of this conference was the formation of a Consultative Committee. Unity was still some way off but gestation had begun.

In 1951, during her second tenure as President, she summoned an All-Island, All-Teachers Conference to discuss the amalgamation of all the existing teachers groups. The result of this conference was the formation of a Consultative Committee. Unity was still some way off but gestation had begun.

Edith Dalton-James gained an unprecedented four terms, being re-elected in 1954 and 1962.

While presiding over the J.U.T. which by then had become the training ground of any aspirant to political life. Many of the leaders of the union were involved in political activities and saw this involvement as a means to the realization of the goals within the education sector. Political involvement then was not to be an end in itself but a means of assisting the transformation within education.

Edith Dalton-James remained a tower of strength in the J.U.T. and, a regionalist at heart was fully involved in the Caribbean Union of Teachers on which she held post on the executive and served as its President. Her own federalist aspirations were at last realized.

Her own contribution to the unity of the teaching profession transcended national and regional boundaries. Edith was also very active in the WCTOP (World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession).

In her retiring President’s address to Annual Conference in April 1963, Edith kept the focus on professionalism in teaching. In this wide ranging address she focussed on the need for continuous training. But most of all this matriarch of the teaching fraternity entreated the teachers to “unite and associate all the teachers of Jamaica protect their interest and integrate the teaching service of Jamaica.” It was to this end that the Joint Executives of Teachers’ Association (J.E.T.A). was formed in 1961.

It was a beaming and triumphant Edith Dalton-James who witnessed the birth of a united Jamaica Teachers’ Association in January 1964 - mission accomplished, forward in unity.

A grateful Association acknowledges her tremendous contribution to teacher trade unionism, Caribbean regional integration, political organization and representation and the advancement of women. Her name is commemorated in a Home for Retired Teachers named in her honour, and the Edith Dalton-James Award to teachers giving long and meritorious service to the Association and the teaching profession.

AWARDS

Life Membership JTA – 1974
JTA Service Medal
Certificate of Life Membership of the Caribbean Union of Teachers
Active Member WCOTP
D.Litt (honoris causa)
Commander of the Order of Distinction
Member of the Legislative Council
Queen’s Coronation Medal (1953)
Golden Jubilee Presentation (1954)
Member of the British Empire (1958)