Even those in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean who may not readily recognise the name benefited immensely from the work of intellectual, educator, and historian par excellence, Professor Sir Roy Augier, who died on Sunday at age 100.

We believe that because of Professor Augier’s writings and teachings our people are far more aware of their origins and the challenges their ancestors overcame in the making of the modern Caribbean than would otherwise have been the case.

He also made a seminal contribution in the development of our own measurement of academic competence.

Jamaica’s Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness put it well: “Professor Augier was a pioneer, a visionary, the consummate educator whose life was dedicated to illuminating the lived history of our ancestors and shaping the narrative and knowledge of generations of Jamaican and Caribbean people.”

Dr Wayne Wesley, registrar and CEO of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), was also on point: “We have lost a visionary and pioneer who recognised the importance of a regional examination system.”

Indeed, Professor Fitzroy Richard Augier, who was born in St Lucia on December 17, 1924, was a CXC pioneer, chairing its history panel from the inception of the council and serving as CXC chair from 1986 to 1996.

He spearheaded the move to introduce a regional examination to replace the Cambridge A Level assessment which resulted in the eventual introduction of the Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE).

Professor Augier was also involved in curriculum development and teacher-training workshops. Additionally, his online profile tells us he served as examiner of the Institute of Jamaica, where he assisted in curriculum development, paper setting, and marking scripts for teacher-training institutions in Jamaica.

He was a founding member and past president of the Association of Caribbean Historians and promoted closer relations between French- and English-speaking historians, which earned him the honour of Chevalier, Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 1989.

His impressive resume shows that he also gave distinguished service to The University of the West Indies in varying roles — dean of the Faculty of General Studies from 1967 to 1972; acting principal of the Cave Hill campus in 1970; and pro vice-chancellor from 1972 to 1990.

Professor Augier served on archive committees in Jamaica, and initiated the establishment of the Barbados Archives, contributions that saw him being awarded a medal by the International Council of Archives.

He was recognised by the Institute of Jamaica, and in 1996 was knighted for his contribution to education in St Lucia.

We are proud of the fact that in 2014 the Jamaican Government invested Professor Augier with the Order of Jamaica for his outstanding contribution to education, history, and nation-building — a well-deserved honour for a man whose contribution also saw him co-authoring three important publications: The Making of the West Indies in 1960, said to have revolutionised the teaching and studying of history in the region; The Report on the Rastafarian Movement (1961); and Sources of West Indian History (1962).

There are, of course, many more accomplishments, too numerous to fit in this space. Those, we expect, will be fully highlighted and preserved by regional governments and institutions that this exceptional Caribbean citizen served with distinction.