Sir Frank Leslie Walcott was a dynamic, principled, formidable man, who possessed the gift of bargaining like no other.
Sir Frank made remarkable differences throughout his career. He played a key role in organizing the Barbados labor movement and was a major figure in stimulating participation in the nation’s political process.
The talented mathematician, skilled craft worker and incredible debater was a Barbadian trade unionist, politician, ambassador and one of the ten national heroes of Barbados
Frank Walcott was born in Saint Peter September 16, 1916. His father was a police officer who died when Walcott was very young. He was raised in Bridgetown, where he attended Wesley Hall Boys’ Secondary School, excelling in mathematics and debate from an early age.
Becoming an active unionist in his mid-twenties, Walcott served the Barbados Workers’ Union for over fifty years. He also served three separate terms as president of the Caribbean Congress of Labour, as well as serving in the governing body of the International Labor Organization and as vice-president of the executive board of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions. In addition to these posts, Walcott also served with the American Institute for Free Labor Development and was chairman of the World Employment Conference.
In politics, Walcott served as a member of parliament in the Barbados House of Assembly, from 1945 to 1966 and again from 1971 to 1976. He sat first as a member of the liberal Barbados Labor Party but broke away from the party over its conservative beliefs to help establish the Democratic Labor Party in its movement towards independence and was a critical figure in its union and trade leanings. During the time between these terms, he served as a senator, and was president of that body from 1986 to 1991.
After Barbados gained its independence in 1966, Walcott served as the nation’s first ambassador to the United Nations.
The Sir Frank Walcott building in Saint Michael, Barbados, is named in his honor. Walcott is also noted for having been an exceptional cricket umpire.
