Aldwin Gerard Francis

Aldwin Gerard Francis[1] (16th October, 1898 — 22nd May, 1974) was a doctor, sportsman, and sports administrator from Trinidad & Tobago.[2]

Early life and education

He was born on 16th October, 1898[3] to William and Mathilda Francis. He was one of five children (three boys — Hubert, Aldwin, and Winston — and two girls (Williana and Neutris);[4] and had one more half sister, Wilhelmena.

He was a government exhibitioner[5] to Saint Mary's College, Trinidad and Tobago where he won an Island Scholarship in 1918[6][7] In 1925, he earned his MB BCh BAO (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, and Bachelor of Obstetrics) from the National University of Ireland and his LM (Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery) from Coombe Women & Infants University Hospital in Dublin,[3]. He returned to the National University to earn the Doctor of Medicine (MD) qualification in 1934.[2]

Medicine and the public service

Upon returning to Trinidad, he worked in private practice in San Fernando for 15 months before joining the Government Medical Service. He served as District Medical Officer in almost every district of Trinidad — including the leprosarium operated on Chachacare island — as well as in Plymouth Tobago. He spent the majority of his medical career at the Port of Spain General Hospital, where he was appointed Medical Officer Grade A in 1944,[8] and Senior Physician in 1948.[3]

He developed a reputation as an Internal Medicine specialist, with significant experience in children’s diseases, and was widely regarded as a “brilliant diagnostician”.[2] For many years, he was Honorary Secretary of the Medical Board of Trinidad & Tobago, served on the Antibiotic Committee, and advocated for better training and working conditions for nurses. He served as a member of the Nursing Council of T&T from inception in 1950, as well as on the Board of Inquiry into the Registration of Nurses, and was the founder and for many years the editor of the Student Nurses Magazine. He was also the President of Corpus Christi Day Nursery.[9]

Francis served as Vice President and later President (1951) of the Civil Service Association; was a member of the Public Service Commissions (1953–56, and 1959–61);[5] and served on the Whitley Council. He made a brief foray into politics, serving as the President of the Party of Political Progress Groups or (POPPG),[10] founded by Albert Gomes in 1950, and making an unsuccessful run for office with the party in 1956.[2] He was a management committee member of the St. Mary’s College Past Students Union, serving on the same executive as Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani in the 1934.[11]

After retiring from full-time government service, he joined the staff at the St. Ann’s Hospital in 1958 on a part-time basis as Physician and Staff Medical Officer. He served in this capacity until shortly before his death.[2]

According to the Caribbean Medical Journal: “His clinical ability and diagnostic skill are recorded in many issues of the Journal. He was one of a triumvirate who laid the foundations of clinical medicine at the Colonial Hospital, now General Hospital, Port of Spain. He always found time to assist the student nurses both at work and when off duty. It was through his instrumentality that a club was formed by the student nurses. The club produced Nursing Journal arranged concerts, etc. His arduous duties as President of the Civil Service Association will always be remembered with gratitude. He was a keen sportsman; cricket, bridge and chess were his hobbies.”[12]

Involvement in sports

Francis was an avid sportsman, referee[13] and sports administrator. As an athlete, he captained school cricket and football teams at St. Mary’s College and the National University of Ireland,[2] and competed with the championship-winning Maple Club — of which he was a founder member, and which was “once regarded as “The Greatest” team ever to grace the soccer fields in Trinidad and Tobago [and] became the first league champions in 1927 in the Trinidad Amateur Football Association (TAFA) competition"[14] (see also: List of Trinidad and Tobago football champions).

In addition, he was Island Chess Champion at the 1939 Trinidad and Tobago Chess Championship (also representing Trinidad at chess 1938 and 1948); Snooker Champion (1941); represented Trinidad in Inter-Colonial Cricket (1939); won the Open Doubles Tennis Champion (1946), and also won the Maple Club’s Men’s Doubles Lawn Tennis title of Maple Club with Alroy Nicholls in 1957. He also managed the Trinidad football team trip to Barbados (1944), and was a TAFA referee.[5]

He was instrumental in forming the Bonanza Cricket League, Maple Club, and the Trinidad Cricket Council (which became the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board — the latter with Sir Errol Dos Santos, Sir Lindsay Grant, and Lord Learie Constantine in 1956.[13][15] He served as President for a time with each organisation, holding the position at Maple Club from 1950 through 1964.[3] He also served as President of the Trinidad Chess Association, and was a member of the Council of the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association; the Chess Section of the Victoria Institute; Trinidad Football Selection Committee; WITCO Sports Foundation; and was an honorary member of TAFA and the Queen’s Park Cricket Club.

Upon his death, several articles appeared in the newspapers commenting on his contribution to sports. “He made a substantial contribution to our sport,” wrote footballer and commentator Albert “Bootins” Alkins in his Trinidad Express column.[13] Brunell Jones wrote in the Evening News that “The Bonanza era spawned a large army of knowledgeable men in cricket and Dr. Francis was among the best of them”.[16] “He could smell a bad shot, a faulty bit of fielding or a bad ball a mile off, and he could write about the game.” “Dr. Francis will be greatly missed. He was a great asset to the cricket world,” Sir Errol Dos Santos told the Trinidad Express.[17] In the Trinidad Guardian, Alvin Corneal wrote "With his death there now appears a vacuum in the sporting world. It will be, of course, a long time before this vacuum is replaced.”.[18]

Awards and recognition

In 1971, he was awarded the nation’s second highest civilian honour: the Trinidad & Tobago Chaconia Medal (Gold) for Medicine and Public Service.[19]

On his passing, the House of Representative held one minute’s silence to honour Sir Warner Boos (Chairman of the Public Service Association), Alderman Fitz Blackman (former Mayor of Port of Spain), and Dr. A.G. Francis. Tributes were paid by Kamaluddin Mohammed, Minister of Health & Leader of Government Business in the House, as well as by Opposition Leader Roy Richardson.[20] The Trinidad & Tobago Medical Association cancelled its annual dinner as a mark of respect.[10]

In 1999, Francis was inducted into the St. Mary’s College Hall of Fame.[21]

Personal life

He married Lorna Kilgour in 1940, and had three children (among them musician Gretta Taylor), and three grandchildren.[22]

References
  1. The Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago National Awards Database. Retrieved 30th June, 2020
  2. Lewis, L.F.E., 1974, "In Memoriam" in Caribbean Medical Journal, Vol XXXV (1) and (2)
  3. Kay, Ernest (editor), 1970, Dictionary of Caribbean Biography, First edition, 1969-70. Melrose Press Ltd, London
  4. Mills, Therese, 2016, Byline: The Memoirs of Therese Mills, Suzanne Mills (publisher)
  5. Smith, Lloyd Sydney FRGS, FRSA, (editor-publisher), 1965, The Caribbean: Who, What, Why, 2nd edition, Netherlands, 1965
  6. Besson, Gerard A., 2010, The Book of Trinidad, Paria Publishing
  7. Trinidad Guardian newspaper, 3rd April, 1918. Retrieved 30th June, 2020
  8. Lewis, L.F.E., 1974, "In Memoriam" in Caribbean Medical Journal, Vol XXXV (1) and (2)’’
  9. Smith, Lloyd Sydney, FRGS, FRSA, (editor-publisher), 1965, The Caribbean: Who, What, Why, 2nd edition, Netherlands, 1965
  10. Trinidad Guardian newspaper, 24th May, 1974
  11. About the St. Mary's College Past Students Union. Retrieved 30th June, 2020
  12. Waterman, James A., CMT Gold, OBE, MD, Ch.B. (Glas) LM (Rotunda), FRCOG (London), DTM&H (London) (editor), Caribbean Medical Journal, Vol XXXI & XXXII 1969-1970
  13. Alkins, Albert 'Bootins', "We didn't come here to bury B.I. or Dr. A.G.", Trinidad Express newspaper, Sunday 26th May, 1974
  14. Trinidad Guardian newspaper, 29th December, 1980.
  15. Corneal, Alvin, "We're sorry, but the game's over, Doc", Trinidad Guardian newspaper, 24th May, 1974
  16. Jones, Brunell, "They made fine contributions", Evening News newspaper, Monday 27th May, 1974
  17. "Sir Errol: Dr. Francis truly was great", Trinidad Express newspaper, 24th May, 1974
  18. Corneal, Alvin, "We're sorry, but the game's over, Doc", Catholic News, 2nd June, 1974
  19. Waterman, James A., CMT Gold, OBE, MD, Ch.B. (Glas) LM (Rotunda), FRCOG (London), DTM&H (London) (editor), Caribbean Medical Journal, Vol XXXI & XXXII 1969-1970,.
  20. Trinidad Express newspaper, 25th May, 1974
  21. St. Mary's College Hall of Fame. Retrieved 30th June, 2020
  22. "FRANCIS: IAN GERARD CYRIL". www.guardian.co.tt.
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