Norman Washington

Manley
Background information:

In Roxborough, Manchester, on July 4, 1893, Norman Washington Manley was born to

parents Thomas Albert Samuel Manley and Margaret. He studied at Jamaica College, and overseas at
Jesus College, Oxford, England. He served in an artillery regiment upon enlisting in the British Army in
1914, earning a Military Medal. He excelled in Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and was admitted to the
Gray's Inn Bar in 1921. There, he won the Lee Prizeman Award and received the Certificate of Honour
in the Bar Finals.

Career:

Manley established the People's National Party (PNP) in September 1938, and he served as its
president until his resignation in 1969, 31 years later.

Manley and the PNP led the call for universal adult suffrage while supporting the trade union
movement, which was then led by Alexander Bustamante. Manley had to wait ten years and two terms
after the abolition of the suffrage before his party was chosen to hold office.

He was a fervent supporter of the Federation of the West Indies, which was founded in 1958.
However, when Sir Alexander Bustamante announced that the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP), the
country's main opposition party, would remove Jamaica from the Federation, Norman Manley, who was
already well known for his integrity and dedication to democracy, called an unprecedented referendum
to let the people decide.
 The vote was overwhelmingly against keeping Jamaica as a member of the Federation. After
ensuring Jamaica's orderly exit from the union, Norman Manley established a joint commission to
choose a constitution for Jamaica's distinct Independence.

He led the team that negotiated the island's independence from Britain after serving with
distinction as the committee's chair. Manley went back to the people once the dispute was resolved. He
lost the subsequent election to the JLP and served as leader of the opposition for his final years, firmly
establishing the function of the parliamentary opposition in a developing country.

Contributions:

After ensuring Jamaica's peaceful withdrawal from the union, Manley established a joint
commission to develop a constitution for Jamaica's autonomous independence. Manley served as the
committee's chair and was in charge of the group that mediated independence.

Honours:

After his death, Manley, and his still-living cousin Bustamante, were proclaimed National
Heroes of Jamaica on 18 October 1969. Manley, also being the former Premier and Chief Minister of
Jamaica, can be seen on the Jamaican Five Dollar Coin, being portrayed as the country's national
hero.2011