Ben Hawthorne

Wellesley Benjamin Constantine (WBC) Hawthorne was born on December 28, 1906 to Lydia and Benjamin Henry Hawthorne in Watsonville, in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica.

EDUCATION
He received his early education at Watsonville and Retreat Elementary Schools and entered the Mico College at 18 years of age in 1924.

He graduated with honours and a Head Teacher’s Certificate in 1926.

TEACHING CAREER
WBC Hawthorne’s long career in Jamaica’s education system began at Juan de Bolas Elementary School in January, 1927, where he began as Head Teacher. (The academic year then was January to December). In 1930, he moved to Sligoville Elementary and then on to Barton’s in 1934, Mount Nebo in 1938, Preston School in 1939 and thence to Point Hill in 1940. These movements must be viewed as promotions as successive schools were larger in size (enrolment) and involved greater responsibilities.

In 1950 he moved to the then Denham Town Senior School, one of 4 experimental institutions created to deliver a higher level of secondary education to the less privileged. He remained at Denham Town for 13 years.

In the thirty-six years that ‘Ben’ served in the classroom, he established the reputation as a stern disciplinarian, an inspirational leader and a competent manager. At a time in Jamaica when a significant percentage of the teaching force was untrained, Mr. Hawthorne, as ‘Head Teacher,’ saw his role as a teacher-trainer. He visited every class in his school every day, gave demonstration lessons to less experienced teachers and to ensure that the students in his school benefitted from his own expertise as a master teacher, he taught every class in the school at some time.

‘Ben’ Hawthorne insisted on the highest level of professionalism and performance from his teachers and no less in scholarship from his students.

Teachers were expected to produce lesson plans on a timely basis, the implementation of which he personally monitored, giving guidance to his teachers where necessary.

In an age when schools were graded on performance of students, his schools always obtained excellent results.

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Ben Hawthorne’s laurels were not earned solely on his reputation as teacher and educational manager. He built up an enviable record of community service.

He served the Jamaica Agricultural Society (JAS) as Secretary of various branches in communities in which he lived and worked.

He also served as a Catechist of the Anglican Church in these various communities and was a member of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew. As Principal, he assumed the role of community leader and thus served as President or Secretary of various community or citizens’ groups.

He was founder and First Secretary of the Upper St. John’s Peoples’ Co-operative Bank. He was also founder member of the Lodge Semper Fidelis 1530 and Post Master of the Imperial Lodge 987.

In the Jamaica of Benjamin Hawthorne’s time, community involvement was crucial to a successful career as a teacher, church, lodge and community were the essential troika.

Ben Hawthorne was a keen cricketer, a member of the illustrious Lucas Cricket Club.

Ben Hawthorne is also best remembered by his numerous letters and articles in the daily and weekly newspapers. He was an excellent essayist.

INVOLVEMENT IN THE UNION - JAMAICA UNION OF TEACHERS AND THE JAMAICA TEACHERS’ ASSOCIATION
Notwithstanding his redoubtable contribution to community development, by far, his greatest contribution in the field of education is in teacher organization and trade unionism.

He was twice President of the St. Catherine Teachers’ Federation and Jamaica Union of Teachers (JUT) in 1954 and 1955. On several occasions, he was Secretary of the St. Catherine Federation.

In 1952, he served as Assistant Secretary, JUT, and rose the position of General Secretary in 1963. By then, he had established a record of service in the Union as an advocate for the cause of the Primary School teachers.

It is to the credit of Wellesley Benjamin Constantine Hawthorne that one of the major goals of the JUT, the unification of the teacher profession, was achieved during his tenure as General Secretary of the largest teachers’ union in Jamaica, the Jamaica Union of Teachers.

It was mainly through the instrumentality of Ben, Hon. A. Wesley Powell and Edith Dalton-James, that the then 5 fractious teachers organizations - the Jamaica Union of Teachers, the Association of Assistant Masters and Mistresses, the Association of Teacher Training Staffs, the Association of Teachers in Technical Institutions, and the Association of Headmasters and Headmistresses, merged and gave way to the stronger monolithic teacher organization, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, with its watch words, “unite and serve.”

Wellesley ‘Ben’ Hawthorne became the Association’s First Secretary General and A.W. Powell, its first President. The position the last President of the erstwhile JUT, Desmond Charles Gascoigne relinquished for the sake of the enduring unity of the teaching profession in Jamaica.

Ben held the position as Secretary General for 11 years, overseeing 10 Presidents, retiring during the 10th Anniversary of the JTA. He had overseen the early years of the Association, whose membership in 1974 was in excess of 1300.

The late McArthur Ireland, friend and colleague of Ben, captured the essence of the character of Mr. Hawthorne in his lyrical citation: “self-effacing, yet competent, gentle, yet possessed of tensile rapier strength, good humoured and fun-conscious, a man of serious thought and learning, yet of amusedly, gentle sardonic wit, man of no spite or bitterness or enmity, yet stubborn as a mule when his sense of propriety is touched or hurt,...the only word to describe Ben is inimitable.”

Perhaps his crowning achievement was the hosting in 1971 of the 20th Annual Assembly of the World Confederation of Organizations of the Teaching Profession (WCOTP), by the 7 year old union. The Association earned generous plaudits for its efforts.

COMMENDATIONS
In recognition to his contribution to primary education, primary school teachers and the unification of the teaching profession, Ben Hawthorne was awarded the “Mico Old Students’ Gold Medal in 1965, the National Honour, Commander of the Order of Distinction in 1971, the Mico College Centenary Medal in 1986 and was elevated to the Honour Roll of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association in 1978; sharing the spotlight with 2 contemporary colleagues, Wesley A. Powell and Ethlyn Rhodd. In 1978, he was awarded the Norman Washington Manley Foundation Award for Excellence in the field of Primary Education.

A grateful Association conferred on him a signal honour by renaming the building at 97 Church Street and the Conference Room, venue for the Association’s key meetings, as a tribute to his eloquent and oratorical skills.

Professor Errol Miller has the final words: “Wellesley Benjamin Hawthorne is an aristocrat, where aristocracy is defined in terms of character. He is a legendary teacher of the hills of St. Catherine and Denham Town in Kingston and a visionary teacher leader.”

Wellesley Benjamin Constantine (WBC) Hawthorne - an impressive landmark along the Jamaican educational landscape, an inspiration to struggle, aspire and achieve