EDWIN Samuel Jones served as professor of public administration in the Department of Government at The University of the West Indies from 1990 to 2006.

He constructed his professorial chair on a stellar foundation. He took his Teachers’ Certificate from the Mico Teachers’ College on a Government of Jamaica scholarship in 1962 and, between 1964 and 1968, stormed brilliantly through the UWI Faculty of Social Sciences on a Government of Jamaica bursary, taking the BSc Economics degree with first class honours in 1967 and the MSc in Government a year later.

In 1967 he captured the N N Nethersole Government Award for the best performance of the year in Government and in 1968, after obtaining a diploma with distinction in advanced research methodology from the University of Michigan, he proceeded to the University of Manchester, there to take his doctorate in public administration in 1970. Following a two-year stint in the Motherland at the University of Zambia, Dr Jones returned to his beloved home at UWI, firmly on the road to academic leadership.

‘The Prof’

For many years, Edwin Jones was “the prof” to all denizens of UWI’s Department of Government. He made his outstanding mark as dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and in numerous other roles, but it was as the prof that he will be remembered whenever the university honours its heroes. In that capacity, Professor Jones served ceaselessly as a strong, perceptive and sensitive mentor to his colleagues, always keeping students specially in mind. More than any other Mona scholastic leader, the prof collaborated with younger academics in producing first-rate journal articles. From his colleagues as well as his students, he gently demanded excellence, and he presented excellence in his teaching, collegiality and his willingness to share from his treasure trove of knowledge of Caribbean society.

For prof, in his own words, the course outline represented a “contract with students”: He expected careful and thorough reading of the items on his outline, together with full engagement in vibrant class discussion. He also served as a bridge between his students whom he sometimes called his “professors”, and lecturers and scholars of standing in the history of the Department of Government.

Professor Jones’ writing reflects a wide range of intellectual pursuits. His distinguished 2015 publication Contending with Administrivia: Competition for Space, Benefits and Power is a model of precision and acuity which subjects the Jamaican public sector to analysis drawn from almost five decades of observation, praxis and reflection. His 1987 book, Coalitions of the Oppressed: Interest Groups in Colonial Political Systems, demonstrated core elements of his world view, and especially his commitment to the poor and dispossessed. Many of his other publications underline his interest in contemporary political affairs and demonstrate impeccable judgement.

Still in the academic sphere, Professor Jones was for several years a professorial fellow at the Mona School of Business and Management and, following his retirement from Mona, he took up the position as head of the Institute of Technological and Educational Research at The Mico University College, another institution he was proud to call home.

Public Service

Prof Jones also embraced public service with a passion. At various times from 1974 forward, he was a special advisor to the Government of Jamaica, assisting ministers in portfolio areas as diverse and divergent as housing, labour, tourism, and local government. Between 1989 and 1993 he served, too, as a special advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister, mainly on issues of public sector reform and modernisation.

He was, in addition, an active and long-serving member of the Public Service Commission and on various public sector boards including,among others, the board of the Planning Institute of Jamaica. For his services to the academy and the public sector, the prof received the national honour, first, of Commander of the Order of Distinction and, subsequently, was elevated most deservedly to the rank of Order of Jamaica.

The Man

On the personal side, Prof Jones was a man with a spirit of rare generosity. He was a family man who has left behind his dear wife Maria and sons. We grieve with them as we do with other family members and loved ones across the world. Prof Jones was committed not only to institution-building but also to the building and upliftment of the individual persona. He guided us all, and with his keen sense of humour and judgement he promoted caution among the impetuous, confidence among the hesitant, vision among the impatiently myopic.

He was always thoughtful and worked diligently to encourage friendships – or at least to avoid academic warfare – among his more cantankerous colleagues. He faced triumphs and challenges with equanimity. He exuded style and sophistication in speech, decorum and dress, often redefining the concept of the natty professor. And most of all, as he soared to the dizzy heights of achievement, he uplifted us all.

Edwin Jones, the prof, we bid you farewell with tears, respect, and love in our hearts. Rest well, intellectual giant of the people.