John Compton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir John Compton
|
|
|---|---|
Statue in Constitution Park, Castries
|
|
| 1st Prime Minister of Saint Lucia | |
| In office 11 December 2006 – 7 September 2007 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Pearlette Louisy |
| Preceded by | Kenny Anthony |
| Succeeded by | Stephenson King |
| In office 3 May 1982 – 2 April 1996 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Boswell Williams Allen Montgomery Lewis Vincent Floissac (Acting) Stanislaus A. James |
| Preceded by | Michael Pilgrim |
| Succeeded by | Vaughan Lewis |
| In office 22 February 1979 – 2 July 1979 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor-General | Allen Montgomery Lewis |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Premier) |
| Succeeded by | Allan Louisy |
| Premier of Saint Lucia | |
| In office 1 March 1967 – 22 February 1979 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Governor | Frederick Clarke Ira Marcus Simmons Allen Montgomery Lewis |
| Preceded by | Himself (as Chief Minister) |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Prime Minister) |
| Chief Minister of Saint Lucia | |
| In office April 1964 – 1 March 1967 |
|
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Administrator | Gerald Jackson Bryan |
| Preceded by | George Charles |
| Succeeded by | Himself (as Premier) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 April 1925.png){kind=small} Canouan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines |
| Died | 7 September 2007 (aged 82) Tapion Hospital, Castries, Saint Lucia |
| Cause of death | Complications from stroke |
| Political party | United Workers Party |
| Spouse | Lady Barbara Janice Compton nee Clarke |
Sir John George Melvin Compton was an important politician from Saint Lucia. He was born on April 29, 1925, and passed away on September 7, 2007. Sir John became the very first Prime Minister of Saint Lucia when the country gained its independence in February 1979.
He led Saint Lucia while it was still under British rule from 1964 to 1979. After independence, he served as Prime Minister three different times. These terms were briefly in 1979, then from 1982 to 1996, and finally from 2006 until his death in 2007. He helped start the United Workers Party (UWP) in 1964. He led this party for many years, from 1964 to 1996, and again from 2005 to 2007.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
John Compton was born on April 29, 1925, in Canouan, which is part of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. In September 1939, he moved to Saint Lucia.
He studied law and economics at the University College of Wales from 1948 to 1949. He then continued his studies at the London School of Economics from 1949 to 1951. On August 7, 1951, he officially became a lawyer, which is called being "called to the Bar".
Starting a Political Career
Compton began his journey in politics in 1954. He successfully ran for a seat on the Saint Lucia Executive Council, representing the areas of Micoud and Dennery. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he wasn't part of a specific political party at that time.
In 1955, he became the Council Member for Social Affairs. He held this role until 1956. That same year, he joined the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP). In 1957, he took part in a sugar workers' strike and was fined for blocking roads.
He was re-elected in 1957 and became the Minister for Trade and Production in 1958. He also became the deputy leader of the SLP, working alongside George Charles. In 1960, he was again made Minister of Trade and Industry when George Charles became the first Chief Minister.
Even though Compton was re-elected in 1961, he decided not to join the Executive Council. He disagreed with some of the new ministers in the SLP. Because of this, he left the SLP and started his own new party, called the National Labour Movement.
In 1964, Compton combined his National Labour Movement with another opposition party, the People's Progressive Party. Together, they formed the United Workers' Party (UWP). This new party won the general election in 1964, and John Compton became the new Chief Minister of Saint Lucia.
Leading Saint Lucia to Independence
Once in office, John Compton worked hard to make Saint Lucia independent from British rule. On March 1, 1967, Saint Lucia became an Associated State of the United Kingdom. This meant that the government of Saint Lucia was now fully in charge of the island's internal matters. With this change, Compton became Saint Lucia's first and only Premier.
During the conference in 1966 that led to this change, Compton spoke strongly against the British government. He felt they were leaving out important topics and accused them of treating people of different backgrounds unfairly. In 1968, he married Barbara Janice Clarke. They had five children together.
After the UWP won the election in 1974, Compton pushed for talks to gain full independence. Saint Lucia finally became an independent nation on February 22, 1979. At this historic moment, John Compton became the first Prime Minister of the newly independent country.
Prime Minister and Beyond
Just a few months after Saint Lucia gained independence, the UWP lost an election to the SLP. Compton then became the Leader of the Opposition. The SLP government faced problems and collapsed in January 1982. The UWP won the next election in May 1982, and Compton became Prime Minister once again.
He stayed in office until he retired in 1996. His chosen successor, Vaughan Lewis, took over from him. After retiring, Compton worked as a legal consultant.
As Prime Minister, Compton's policies were generally conservative. He supported Western countries and was against communism. He also worked to bring countries in the Caribbean region closer together. When he left office in 1996, he expressed his disappointment that the people of the region were still "divided people scattered over the Caribbean Sea."
Returning to Lead
On March 13, 2005, the UWP elected Compton as its leader again. He was 80 years old at the time. He won the party convention in Soufriere with 260 votes, while Vaughan Lewis received 135 votes.
During the 2006 general election, some media outlets worried about his age. However, Compton campaigned actively, saying it was different from preparing for the Olympics. Even though opinion polls suggested the St Lucia Labour Party would win again, Compton led the UWP to victory on December 11, 2006. He was elected to represent Micoud North.
He was sworn in as Prime Minister on December 15. His cabinet, which is a group of top government officials, was sworn in on December 19. Compton served as both Prime Minister and Finance Minister.
His Final Years
On May 1, 2007, Compton was taken to a hospital in New York City. He had suffered several strokes while having a normal checkup.
On May 16, Sports Minister Leonard Montoute, who was also the deputy leader of the United Workers Party, announced that Compton could not stand or walk on his own. The cabinet began preparing to choose a new leader.
Compton returned to Saint Lucia on May 19. He briefly took back power in early June to make changes to his cabinet. He remained Prime Minister but gave the finance duties to Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King. On June 8, King said that Compton's condition was getting better. On July 11, Compton attended a meeting with several cabinet ministers. This was his first meeting since his strokes.
In late July, it was announced that Compton would resign by the end of 2007. On August 26, Compton was admitted to the Tapion Hospital in Castries. He was having trouble breathing because of pneumonia. While there, doctors found he had suffered another stroke. On September 1, he was flown to Martinique for treatment. His condition worsened, and he was put on a ventilator.
On September 4, doctors decided his condition was very serious. On September 5, he was brought back to the Tapion Hospital in Saint Lucia. He passed away there on September 7, 2007. Acting Prime Minister King announced two weeks of mourning for the country, starting on September 8.
A state funeral was held for Compton in Castries on September 18, at the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Even though Compton was Anglican, the local Catholic church was used because many people wanted to attend. This was also at Sir John's request. The funeral services held in Micoud on September 16 and at the Minor Basilica on September 18 followed Sir John's wishes, including the hymns he specifically asked for. He was cremated on September 19, and his ashes were spread in the Troumasse River at his estate in Mahaut, as he had requested.
The John Compton Dam in central Saint Lucia was renamed in his honor.
Family and Legacy
Sir John Compton's daughter, Jeannine Compton-Antoine, is also a politician. In a special election held on November 26, 2007, she won her father's old political area, Micoud North.
Another daughter, Nina Compton, is a well-known chef. In 2013, she took part in Top Chef, an American reality cooking show. She was the runner-up and was also voted the "fan favorite" by viewers.
A third daughter, Fiona Compton, is a photographer based in London. She graduated from London College of Printing in 2005 with a degree in photography. She has worked for various publishing companies in the UK.
