Sir Harold Egbert Allan

Born in Springbank, Portland, on March 15, 1895 to Patrick Ken Allan, teacher, and Charlotte Elizabeth Pearce.

EDUCATION
He attended the then Calabar Elementary School and Mico College, where he graduated with distinction. He also pursued advanced studies by private tuition. At Mico, he also distinguished himself in debates, being instrumental in the founding of the Debating Society.

TEACHING CAREER
He was Assistant Master at Calabar and later, Headmaster and Manual Instructor at Titchfield Upper School. His teaching career spanned 14 years.

JAMAICA UNION OF TEACHERS’ (J.U.T.) INVOLVEMENT
Harold Allan was active in the still youthful Jamaica Union of Teachers. He was active in the Port Antonio District Association in serving as a member of the Executive for several years.

POLITICAL CAREER
Like most teachers of his day, Harold Allan was very active in his community and in politics. He was an enterprising individual, a committed community worker and a magnetic politician.

His advocacy on behalf of teachers and the people in general led to his being elected to the Parochial Board in Portland in 1924. In 1928, he founded the Association of Parochial Boards and became its first Secretary.

In 1935, he was elected Member of the Legislative Council (M.L.C.) for Portland and retained this position until the promulgation of the New Constitution in 1944 which saw the inauguration of Universal Adult Suffrage for which he had also agitated.

In 1942, he was made a member of the Privy Council. He held this position on the Council until 1945 when he became a Minister of Government. In the 1944 elections, he was one of only two members of the old Legislative Council to have won seats under the new regime. The other was a clergymen from Hanover. Allan polled 7542 votes to take the seat from his opponent Adrian P. Gray, who polled 4067.

Allan was one of 21 teachers who contested elections in that first poll which gave the vote to Jamaicans 21 years and over. In this first election under Universal Adult Suffrage, there were 68 independent candidates. Both the Jamaica Labour Party and the Peoples’ National Party fielded 4 teachers among their candidates. Allan was re-elected in 1949.

ACHIEVEMENTS
Harold Allan’s illustrious career is studded with many notable achievements. In 1935, he founded and was elected the first Secretary of the Elected Members’ Association. He held this position until he was elected to the New House of Representatives in 1944. He involved himself in the many issues and concerns of the ordinary people of the day. Concern for matters such as burial of the ordinary peasants led to the formation of the Local Burial and Benefit Society in 1924.

An active businessman, he founded the first cinematographic exhibitions in Portland. The Capital Cinema is a tribute to his enterprise But it was in administration that he made his mark becoming in 1945, the first Minister for Finance and General Purposes in the government headed by Chief Minister, Alexander Bustamante. Though an independent member of the House, Harold Allan was offered the position. Allan’s rise to public prominence was triggered by his outspoken stance on issues involving the poor Jamaicans. He was critical of treatment of workers in the sugar industry and on the wharves and did warn of the possibility of riots. These took place in 1938. After the riots, Allan was appointed one of the Commissioners to investigate the labour disturbances at Frome, Westmoreland.

He also visited England and interviewed the Secretary of State for the Colonies, Hon. Malcolm McDonald, on conditions in Jamaica. He prepared for the Colonial Office a memorandum dealing with unemployment, marketing of produce, education and medical facilities. He visited Bermuda the same year and introduced non-residents’ Business Law of Bermuda for adoption in Jamaica.

In 1945, he was made a joint Vice-President of the Jamaica Branch of the Empire Parliamentary Association.

Sir Allan was also a member of the Board of Education; the Railway Advisory Board; the Central Housing Authority; the Jamaica Schools’ Commission; the Agricultural Development Board; Agricultural Loans Societies Board; Board of Governors, Institute of Jamaica; and the Tourist Trade Development Board.

He also served the Wages Board; the Civil Service Regrading; Postal Telegraph and Government Sub-ordinate Employees; Regrading Committees, the Anomalies and Pensions Committee; the Board of Visitors; the Port Antonio Public Hospital; Central Board of Health; Unemployment Commission; the Joint Consultative Council on Education; Practical Training Committee; Committee on Travelling Scholarships for Teachers; Executive Committee on Rehabilitation.

He was also an honourable member of the Jamaica Cricket Association. His fascination for the sport never waned since his days at Mico when he captained the cricket team. He was the organizer of the first All-Island Cricket Competition.

Sir Allan represented Jamaica at the World Trade and Employment Conference held in London in April 1947. He was leader of the delegation. Later that year, he also was a member of the delegation to the World Trade and Employment Conference in Geneva. A roving ambassador, he was part of the delegation to the first Anglo-American Caribbean Commission Conference held in Barbados in March 1944.

Sir Allan died on February 18, 1953. His life was one of total involvement at every level of national life. At a time when teachers were among the privileged few to gain an education, it was the teachers who were the political thinkers and leaders. Teachers by their own involvement in their communities cannot flinch from a political position.

We honour, Sir Harold Egbert Allan, as one of our trailblazers.

AWARDS

1930: made Justice of the Peace
1943: conferred with the Distinction Order of the British Empire (OBE)

Awarded the Mico College Gold Medal for Meritorious Public Service

1948: King George VI conferred on him he accolade Knight Bachelor at the Throne Room, Buckingham Palace