Louise Bennett-Coverley

Louise Bennet-Coverley otherwise known as Miss Lou was born on September 7, 1919, in Kingston, Jamaica. She attended Ebenezer and Calabar Elementary Schools, St. Simons College, Excelsior High School and Friends College. Honorable Louise Bennet Coverley was a Jamaican Poet, writer, and folklorist. 

Louise lectured on drama folklore at the Extra Mural Department at the University of The West Indies. She published several books including: Jamaica Labrish, Aunty Roachy Seh and Selected Poems. Jamaican Creole was a key aspect of her work. Louise Bennet Coverly worked in several radio and television studios. 

Louise Bennet Coverley was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Letters (DLitt) in 1983 by The University of the West Indies Mona Campus.

Michael Manley

The Rt. Honorable Michael Norman Manley, O.M, P.C, was Jamaica's fourth Prime Minister (March 1972 – November 1980 and February 1989 – March 1992) Michael Manley was born on December 10, 1924, in the parish of St. Andrew to parents Norman Manley and Edna Manley. Michael Manley in his younger days at Jamaica College was always a fighter, a stickler for upholding fairness and equality for all students. Such principles were carried over to his adult life which helped shaped him into a renowned leader. 

Manley joined the Canadian Air Force, then later attended the London School of Economics where he completed his degree before he returned to Jamaica. He had a distinguished legacy of service to Jamaica and the region. He was a trade unionist and he advocated for national identity and democratic socialism.

Manley got engaged in writing for newspapers, and the art of public speaking. He started speaking to various party groups and National Workers Union. This was the beginning of his political career. 

On November 14, 1992, Michael Manley was awarded a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by the UWI Mona Campus.

Shirley Courtnay Gordon

Shirley Courtnay Gordon dedicated 11 years of service to the University College of the West Indies and The University of the West Indies. After leaving Mona she went on to the University of Guyana, at which she started a Faculty of Education where she served as the first professor. Gordon started a Faculty of Education at the University of Bahia, Brazil after which she came back to Jamaica to serve as a consultant for the Ministry of Education.

She played a key role in the development of curriculum, in service teacher training. Gordon was pertinent in the addition of grades eleven and twelve to junior high. 

On the fiftieth anniversary of the University of the West Indies, July 25, 1998, Shirley Courtnay Gordon was awarded Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by The UWI Mona Campus.

George Lamming

George Lamming was born in Carrington Village, Barbados in 1927. He attended Roebuck Boys School and late Combermere School. A teacher by the name of Frank Collymore was one of the influencers to the development of Lamming as a world recognized writer.

George Lamming migrated to England in 1950 to continue his path to become a notorious writer. Lamming specialized in writing poetry and novels and was famous for works such as: In the Castle of My Skin, The Emigrants, Of Age and Innocence, Natives of my Person, along with many other famous works. George Lamming was a well respected and demanded lecturer, critic writer and poet.

Lamming was the winner of many awards for his contribution, one of which was the Somerset Maugham Award for Literature in 1958.

George Lamming was awarded a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) degree on February 6, 1980, by The UWI Mona Campus.

Edna Manley

Edna Manley, was not only the wife of Jamaica's first Premier and mother of Jamaica's fourth Prime Minister and another Government Minister but an cultural icon.

Edna Manley played a vital role in Jamaican Art and Art Education. She was one of the most recognized artist and writer. Edna was the founding-editor of Jamaica's first literary Journal, Focus. She layed the foundation for the Jamaica School of Art.

Popular works by Edna Manley are famous sculpture:  Negro Aroused , The Prophet, Journey among others.

Edna Manley was conferred with a honorary Doctor of Letters degree (DLitt) by The UWI Mona Campus.

Barbara Gloudon

Barbara Joy Gloudon was a principled and talented communicator and a popular talk show host. In a field dominated by males, Ms. Gloudon still managed to serve as a Library Assistant at the Gleaner Company Limited. Not only was she the first female Editor of the Star newspaper, but editor of the Gleaner's Children's Own and editor of all Gleaner publication. Ms. Gloudon received a number of awards, including one from the Press Association of Jamaica for Stella, her column in the Star that ran for 20 years.

Ms. Gloudon served as the Deputy Director of Tourism responsible for local and international communication strategies. Gloudon was founder of the Jamaican Pantomime Company and was later the chairman of the Little Theatre Movement Board.

On November 8, 2003, Barbara Joy Gloudon was conferred with the Doctor of Letters (DLitt).

Arthur Lewis

Sir Authur Lewis was a scholarship recipient of the St. Lucian Island Scholarship. Lewis studied Economics at the world renown London School of Economics. Not only was he a brilliant student there but also became a teacher, researcher and public servant.

He dedicated a number of years to the field of economics in an effort to better areas which were underdeveloped. He was awarded a Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. Sir Author Lewis served as the first Vice Chancellor of the University of The West Indies. 

Sir Author Lewis was conferred Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by The University of the West Indies Mona Campus.

Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram

Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram was the first professionally trained Jamaican Librarian. Kenneth Ingram dedicated ten years of his life to serve as University Librarian and thirty-one years to serve as a staff of Mona Library. Ingram played a vital role in formal establishment of The West Indies and Special Collections (WISC) in a different section of the Mona Library.

Not only was Kenneth the first Jamaican to be formally trained as a librarian, but he also became vital to the development of the profession in Jamaica. He moved on serve as a member of the Board of Management in the National Library. He later served as the president of Jamaica Library Association. He was the president elected to serve the Association of Caribbean University, Research and Institutional Libraries.

On November 8, 2002, Kenneth Everard Niven Ingram was awarded a Doctor of Letters (DLitt) by The UWI Mona Campus.  

Olive W. M. Lewin

Olive Lewin was born in Vere, Clarendon, Jamaica on September 28, 1927. She was one of the only black student at Hampton Girls School. She on a scholarship and went on to pursue music and ethnomusicology at the Royal Schools of Music, London.  While studying Russia's music in London, Olive Lewin came to the realization that "Jamaica was going to be an island of imitators unless we learned our own folklore." This was the beginning of her dedication to preserve folk music. When she returned to Jamaica She made it her mission to not only learn more about Jamaica's folklore but to spread her knowledge as well.

Olive Lewin became the Folk Music Research Officer for to Jamaica School of Music. She later became founder of Jamaica Orchestra for Youth. Olive served as Director of Art and Culture in the Office of The Prime Minister. She initiated the Memory Bank Project to collect and preserve Jamaica's oral history and cultural heritage.

One can Say that the most significant contribution to folk music made by Olive Lewin was founding The Jamaican Folk Singers.

For her significant contributions, Olive Lewin was awarded a Doctor Of Letters (DLitt) degree on November 14, 1998 by The UWI Mona Campus.  

Franklin W. Knight

Franklin Knight was born in 1942, in Manchester, Jamaica. Knight was a past student of Calabar High School and went on to further his education at UCWI Mona. While at Calabar High School Franklin was the editor of the schools magazine "Green and black Review." He received his first degree in History at UCWI and moved on to The University of Wisconsin, Madison to complete his Masters and Doctorate.

Throughout his lifetime, Franklin worked as a Professor  of History at various Universities. Knight was the author and editor of several books including Slave Society in Cuba In the Nineteenth Century. He contributed to many articles, journals and books in his field. 

Franklin W. Knight was a distinguished Historian and Scholar. 

Franklin W. Knight was conferred with a Honorary Doctor of Letters degree (DLitt) by The UWI Mona Campus on November 9, 2007.