NASSAU, The Bahamas – While speaking to the triumphs and journey of the life of the late Paul. L Adderley, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell pointed out that he was “a brilliant man” and a great example of his life was consistency and the ability to “stay in the fight.”
“His imprint (in Bahamian history) is there, because, fundamentally, he was also a lawyer and a patriot and he fiercely believed in his country,” Minister Mitchell said at a press conference, on September 19, at SuperClubs Breezes Resort. Mr. Adderley died a few hours earlier that day. He was 84.
Minister Mitchell said that an important part of his legacy will be the work he did as Minister of Education with schools such as C. R. Walker High School and especially, “Adderley’s Law”, which aimed to ensure that no child got promoted from primary school without being able to succeed at Mathematics and English.
“He was for excellence,” Minister Mitchell added.
Minister Mitchell pointed out that Mr. Adderley would not accept a knighthood or the QC (Queen’s Council) because he thought that it was colonial honours.
“What he wanted was an honour from The Bahamas, which he got, as a result of having served in Cabinet for 10 years – he was named “honourable” for life by Prime Minister Pindling,” Minister Mitchell said.
“With the death of Paul Adderley, it is yet another signal that our collective memory – the living collective memory – is passing away,” Minister Mitchell said. “There are not many people left who were there at the original Constitutional talks, for example.
He said that he believes there are only about two to three persons left from that event in Bahamian history.
“The numbers are dwindling,” Minister Mitchell said. “It is important for a nation to know what its history is.
“It gives us the impetus to work assiduously to try and record the history before we lose it.”
Mitchell Mitchell pointed out that he would be speaking in place of Loftus Roker, on September 20, 2012, in Rawson Square at an event launching a book about the former Governor-General the late Sir Milo Butler.
“History is very much in my mind now, especially about protecting the record of how The Bahamas came to be and who we are as a people.”
The Paul Lawrence Adderley was born August 15, 1928, in Nassau, the second son of the late Alfred Francis Adderley, CBE, and Mrs. Ethel M. L. Adderley.
Mr. Adderley was educated at the late Mrs. Maude Wright’s Primary School and at the Government High School. He later attended St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in law in 1950 and an LL.B. degree in 1951. He attended the Inns of Court Law Schools at the Middle Temple and was called to the English Bar and The Bahamas Bar in 1953.
Mr. Adderley was elected to a seat in the Western District in 1961, as a Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) candidate.
Mr. Adderley left the PLP in 1965 and established the National Democratic Party (NDP) political party. However, he returned to the PLP in 1972.
On March 1, 1973, he was appointed Minister of External Affairs and his appointment on July 10, 1973, as Attorney-General followed 20 years of legal practice in The Bahamas. This also made him the first Attorney-General of the newly-independent country.
Although he was defeated in the General Election of 1982, Mr. Adderley was appointed to the Senate as Government Leader and re-appointed Minister of External Affairs and Attorney-General. During the October 1984 reshuffling of the Cabinet, Mr. Adderley was appointed Minister of Education and retained his appointment as Attorney-General.
In 1987, Mr. Adderley received the Progressive Liberal Party’s nomination as a candidate for the St. Michael’s constituency. He won the House of Assembly seat in the June 19, 1987, general election. He was reappointed Minister of Education and Attorney-General and appointed Leader of the House.
When Prime Minister Pindling again reshuffled his Cabinet, in January 1989, Mr. Adderley was appointed Minister of Education and Minister of National Security.
In a subsequent reshuffle on October 1, 1990, Mr. Adderley was named Minister of Finance. His ministerial responsibilities included the Ministry of Finance; Government finance; accounting and borrowing; licensing of shops and businesses; spirits and beer; auctions; relations with the Hotel Corporation of The Bahamas; racing; relations with the Racing Commission; relations with the Paradise Island Bridge Authority; treasure trove; The Bahamas Development Bank; The Central Bank of The Bahamas; banks, trust, mutual funds and securities; the Post Office Savings Bank; insurance (excluding National Insurance); the Customs Department; budgetary control; the Department of Statistics, statistics; and retail price index. He served until August 1992.
Mr. Adderley also served as Acting Governor-General from December 1, 2005, to January 31, 2006.
Mr. Adderley had been associated with a number of public, civic and professional organisations. He had been a member of the board of governors of St. John’s College and Government High School and a member of the Telecommunications Board.
An avid sports fan, Mr. Adderley played cricket, soccer and tennis in his university days. He had been a secretary and vice-president of the Bahamas Amateur Athletic Association. Until recently he enjoyed the more leisurely hobbies of golf and photography, along with cultural endeavours.
Mr. Adderley married the former Lilith Rosena Thompson in 1960. They had three daughters, Catherine, Rosanne and Paula.
“I think we have just lost a brilliant mind, just a brilliant man,” Mitchell said.
By ERIC ROSE
Bahamas Information Services
Caption: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell (centre) speaks, at SuperClubs Breezes Resort, about the life and legacy of the late Paul L. Adderley, hours after his death, on September 19. Also pictured are Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Immigration Cleola Hamilton and The Bahamas’ Non-Resident High Commissioner to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) His Excellency Picewell Forbes. (BIS Photo / Eric Rose)