KINGSTON, Jamaica – Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia “Babsy” Grange is lauding the late Dr Alfred Sangster for his contribution to the development of track athletics in Jamaica.

“My sincerest condolences to his wife Velma and sons Peter and David and daughter Kathleen and to his friends, colleagues, associates and to the UTECH community. Rest in peace Dr Sangster,” the minister said.

Sangster, former President of the University of Technology (UTech), died Monday night at age 95.
Grange said, “led by his conviction that Jamaican athletes could achieve excellence while attending local colleges and universities and coached by Jamaicans, Dr Sangster partnered with the late Dennis Johnson, a former 100 yards world record holder, to establish a facility to provide such training at his institution.”

The minister said this has paid off “big time” with Jamaica producing world-class athletes trained locally. The Munro College Old Boy had himself earned his school colours in athletics, cricket, hockey and tennis.

As an educator, Sangster presided over the transformation of the College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) into UTech.

A son of St Elizabeth, he will also be remembered as the founding chairman of the local election watchdog organisation, Citizens Action for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), established in 1997. Since then, CAFFE has been consistently observing general elections, local government elections, and by-elections.

Among his awards are the Institute of Jamaica Musgrave Gold Medal and the Munro & Dickenson Trust Award for Excellence. He received the Order of Jamaica (CD) in 1982, and the Order of Jamaica (OJ) in 1995.

He was inducted into the Munro College Old Boys Association Hall of Fame and the UTech Auditorium re-named the Alfred Sangster Auditorium.